Pectinase is a fiber-breaking enzyme which is capable of hydrolyzing the nondigestible carbohydrates that make up fiber. Pectin, a common component of fruits, helps the cell of the fruit stick to each other. Pectinase breaks down the carbohydrate pectin in applesauce which when broken down, turns the applesauce to apple juice (Castro, 2014).
This investigation will explore the effect of temperature on enzyme action by using applesauce as a base and pectinase as a catalyst. We will expose the enzyme pectinase to different temperatures (room temperature and cold temperature (5°C)) to, later on, evaluate enzyme action by measuring the amount of juice produced as a function of time.
Enzymes speed up or catalyze the biochemical reactions required for life. They do so by lowering the activation energy. The activation energy is the energy needed for the chemical reaction to start (Castro, 2014). The molecule which with the enzyme binds is called the substrate which links to a small section of the enzyme referred to as the active site. The active site is the region on the surface of an enzyme to which the substrate bind and where catalyst happens (Castro, 2014). It is prominent to know that only specific enzymes can break down specific substrates, a property called enzyme specificity.
According to the induced-fit model which explains the enzyme-substrate interaction, as the substrate approaches the enzyme, it induces a conformational change in the active site so that its shape fits the substrate. As the products are formed, the enzyme reverts to its original shape, once again being able to undergo more reactions (Rai University, 2015). Additionally, enzyme action is affected by three main factors including high temperature, change in pH levels and substrate concentration which cause the active site to change its shape no longer letting the substrate bind with the enzyme. This process is called denaturation. When an enzyme is denatured, they are prevented from undergoing their normal chemical activities; hence, rates of reactions will be affected (Rai University, 2015).

What effect does temperature have on pectinase activity?