Pectinases, like other industrial enzymes are usually expensive. The use of pineapple peel pectin as substrate is triggered by the large tones of pineapple waste generated in Nigeria. Oil extraction by mechanical/chemical means have associated disadvantages. This research aimed at employing locally produced pectinase for coconut-oil extraction and to compare the yield with commercial pectinase. Fifty grammes of dried pineapple peel powder were employed for pectin production. Aspergillus niger isolated from cassava meal was employed to produce pectinase using submerged fermentation for seven days. The activity of pectinase was determined at 24 h interval. The pectinase was partially purified using 3% activated carbon, characterized and employed to extract oil from coconut. The yield of pectin from the pineapple peels was 24.8% after 1 h of extraction time. Highest pectinase activity was observed on day five. Optimum conditions were 40°C, 5.0 and 1% respectively for temperature, pH and substrate concentration. The enzyme was completely inactive after 5 min of heating at 90°C and metal ion (Mg2+) stimulated its activity. The mean oil yield from the locally produced pectinase was greater than the commercial pectinase. The pectinase produced from this study enhanced coconut-oil extraction when compared with the mechanical method.

Pectinases are a group of enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of pectin. Pectinase producing Aspergillus niger was obtained from a five-day old Eba (Cassava flakes). Response surface methodology was used for optimizing the process of the pectinase produced. Four independent variables which are, temperature, pH, substrate concentration and time of Heating at 70 o C were used to optimize the significant correlation between the effects of the variables on pectinase production. A second-order polynomial was fitted to data and validated by ANOVA. The results revealed maximum pectinase production at pH 6.0, 50 o C Temperature, 0.02% substrate concentration and the enzyme lost all its activity within 7 min of heating at 70 o C. The study revealed that optimization of pectinase through RSM could improve the enzymatic characteristics and yield of the enzyme. The models used were highly significant with a correlation coefficient (R 2 ) of 0. Mots-clés: la pectinase, Aspergillus niger ; la méthodologie de surface de réponse ; plan composite centra