e-ISSN: 3107-6203

Authors: Satwika Das 1, Bhavik Jain 1, K Prashanth Kumar 1, Pardeep Kaur 2, Ashish A Prabhu 1* 

1 Bioprocess Development Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, Telangana, India - 506004.

2 Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India - 140413.

*Corresponding author: Dr. Ashish A. Prabhu: ashishp@nitw.ac.in

Abstract

India’s fruit processing industry suffers from significant post-harvest losses due to inadequate infrastructure and poor management. Around 30 – 35 % of fruit is wasted annually, which leads to loss of immense nutritive potential. Only 1.8 % of the horticultural produce is currently processed, however, the growing global market for processed fruit highlights an urgent need for sustainable solutions. A major by-product of the fruit processing industry is citrus waste, rich in pectin, a valuable biopolymer used across food, pharmaceutical and other industrial sectors. This study focuses on the screening and identification of potent fungal strains for pectinase production, specifically targeting the valorization of citrus peels and pomace. A robust strain of Aspergillus fumigatus was identified to produce pectinase activity of 4.44 U/ml while growing on orange peel. By optimizing the growth parameters for enhanced enzyme production, the pectinase activity was enhanced to 8.85 U/ml and characterization of the crude fungal pectinase further enhanced the enzyme activity. The final optimized parameters were found to be pH 7, temperature 45 ℃ in the presence of 60 mM MgCl2. This research aims to enable broader industrial applications of the pectinase enzyme by creating a cost-effective and sustainable bioprocess. The study ultimately seeks to transform fruit processing waste into value-added products, contributing to both environmental sustainability and economic growth.

Keywords:  Orange peel valorization, Aspergillus fumigatus, pectinase, Taguchi optimization, biorefinery. 

Document Type: Research Article

Citation: Das S, Jain B, Prashanth Kumar K, Kaur P, and Prabhu AA. (2026). Valorization of Fruit Peel Waste for Pectinase Enzyme Production Using Soil-Dwelling Filamentous Fungi. Mycological Spectrum 2(2) : 134-156. 

Received:  14 July 2026| Accepted: 10 August 2026 | Published:  17 August 2026. 

Handling Editor:  Dr. S.K. Deshmukh | Reviewers: Prof. Navin Kango and Dr. Sneha Nayak. 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64993/MS.2.2.5