Bio-Refining Fruit Residues: Dual Recovery of Industrial Pectinase and Antioxidant Carotenoids from Aspergillus niger and Papaya Waste
Author : Priyanka Kande Patil, Shaikh Hussain Fatema Md Ali and Shaikh Bushra Tajoddin
Abstract :
This research establishes a sustainable circular bio-economy model for the dual recovery of industrial enzymes and high-value antioxidants from fruit residues. By utilizing orange peels as a substrate, the indigenous fungus Aspergillus niger (Isolate A1) was identified as a highly efficient pectinase producer, exhibiting a robust 18.6 mm hydrolysis zone. This laboratory-produced pectinase was subsequently applied to papaya (Carica papaya L.) waste to enhance lycopene extraction through enzymatic degradation of the complex cell wall matrix. Optimization trials revealed that a 2% enzyme concentration and a 3-hour incubation period maximized lycopene yield at 15.1 mg/100g, while a ternary solvent system (Hexane:Acetone:Ethanol) achieved a 94% extraction efficiency. Comparative analysis demonstrated that this enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) method delivers a remarkable 138.7% increase in lycopene recovery over traditional mechanical methods. These findings confirm that integrating microbial bioprocessing with agricultural waste valorization provides an eco-friendly and cost-effective strategy for the functional food and pharmaceutical industries, transforming low-value residues into potent industrial biocatalysts and therapeutic pigments.
Keywords :
Aspergillus niger, Bio-refining, Carotenoids, (EAE), Lycopene, Papaya waste, Pectinase, Waste valorization.
