Diversity of pectinolytic molds on major indian mango cultivars

Abstract

The diversity of pectinolytic fungi on nine major Indian mango cultivars was studied. A total of 71 moulds belonging to 10 genera and 18 species were isolated from fruit surfaces, 49 of which showed pectinase activity. Aspergillus niger was the most frequent (30%) followed by A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. alternata, Fusarium oxysporium, A. roseogriseum and Paecilomyces variotti. A. niger isolated from the Banganapalli cultivar from Andhra Pradesh in 2010 showed the highest pectinolytic activity. The majority of the fungi showed wide pH tolerances indicating that they could be important candidates for the production of enzymes using liquid media containing mango peel, a by-product of the mango-processing industry.

Keywords: Pectinase activity; pectinolytic zone; pH, A. niger; diversity index.