Pectolytic enzymes
From Ukcider
Contents |
What are they?
Pectolytic enzymes are a range of enzymes which break down the pectin-based cell walls of plants. Originally these were naturally occurring enzymes extracted from wild fungi, however genetic modification has enhanced the efficacy of these.
There are many such enzymes, such as pectolyase, pectozyme and polygalacturonase, collectively known as Pectases or Pectolases. Additionally there are numerous commercial marketing brands
What do they do?
In cider fermentation they can be used to break down the tissue structure of the apples, so releasing more fruit juice
Are they safe?
Yes
Whats the problem?
Compared with other chemicals, theres no great problem. However typical the use of pectolytic enzymes would be associated with large-scale industrial cider plants, where the extra production throughput due to the use of the enzymes would be important. On a smaller production scale they would have less relevance. The use of the enzymes will also result in a change in taste, partly due to the release of cell contents
