[RETRACTED ARTICLE] Use of encapsulated commercial enzyme in the hydrolysis optimization of cagaita pulp (Eugenia dysenterica DC)

Abstract

Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC) is a Brazilian cerrado fruit with great economic potential. It can be consumed in natura or as processed products like juices and pulps. The search for products with lower nutritional and sensorial changes led to the development of non-thermal techniques, where membrane processes stand out. The use of immobilized pectinolytic enzymes to reduce juices and pulps turbidity and viscosity has several advantages over the free enzymes use, such as the enzyme reduction costs and their reuse. The objective was the cagaita pulp hydrolysis optimization step using encapsulated commercial pectinase, the evaluation of its reuse in several cycles and its application in the microfiltration process. The activity of free commercial enzymes and encapsulated in calcium alginate in the pulp was evaluated, mainly the viscosity and turbidity reduction. The optimum conditions for hydrolysis with encapsulated enzymes were: temperature (30 °C), without stirring and enzymatic concentration (570 μL/L), considering the clarity increment and viscosity reduction. After 8 cycles, the encapsulated enzymes maintained 30% of its activity in reducing viscosity, resulting in the reuse possibility. The mean flow rate during the microfiltration (MF) of the hydrolyzed cagaita pulp with encapsulated enzymes was 13.4% higher than the non hydrolyzed pulp, indicating that enzymatic treatment was also efficient in process time reduction. Enzymes encapsulated can be applied by the juices and fruit pulps industries as a pre-process step for MF increasing the permeate flows, reducing operational and input costs.