Application of Enzymes for Fruit Juice Processing

Enzymes are widely employed in fruit juice processing. Since these enzymes were described and applied for first time in the 1930s, their use has been increased over the years, until they have become an indispensable tool. By means of enzymatic processes the yield of juice can be significantly improved; while some organoleptic characteristics can be modified in order to obtain a product with improved consumer acceptance. In order to apply satisfactorily the current available enzymes, it is mandatory to have a previous knowledge about the cell wall composition of the fruit aimed to be processed and the kind of activities that current available enzymes can provide. For this reason, in this chapter the main components of the cell wall are described, along with the main enzymes employed and the mechanism involved in cell wall disruption. Finally, main parameters affecting the enzymatic processes are discussed as well.