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Degradation of pectic substances in green flax fibre by Erwinia carotovora
Author(s) -
MORVAN ODILE,
JAUNEAU ALAIN,
MORVAN CLAUDINE,
DEMARTY MAURICE,
RIPOLL CAMILLE
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1988.tb02045.x
Subject(s) - retting , pectate lyase , erwinia , biology , degradation (telecommunications) , incubation , botany , food science , bacteria , biochemistry , pectinase , enzyme , telecommunications , genetics , computer science
SUMMARY In this paper, we report that Erwinia carotovora can perform controlled biological pectinolysis of green flax fibre. The degradation of pectic substances is considered a key step during this process and is estimated by determining the cation exchange capacity (CEC). A CEC characteristic of a ‘good retting degree’, is reached after 20 h incubation, whatever the tested temperature and initial pectate lyase activity of the bacterial culture. Similar results are obtained after only 4 h, at a temperature of 45°C and the pectate lyase activity is greater than 2 nmol ml ‐1 min ‐1 . The linear relationship between the CEC and the weight loss of green fibre which is established, allows us to estimate an equivalent weight of 1000 g eq ‐1 for the solubilised polymers.