What Is Cellulase Enzyme?
Cellulase is a group of enzymes that break down cellulose, the structural carbohydrate that makes up a major part of plant cell walls.
Scientific & Technical's cellulase is a high-activity liquid enzyme preparation designed for digesting cellulosic feedstocks. It has hydrolytic activity against cellulose and other β-1,4-glucans, helping convert plant cell-wall material into smaller soluble sugars.
This makes cellulase useful in applications including:
- Fruit and vegetable processing
- Juice extraction and clarification
- Brewing, wine and cider production
- Plant-based beverages
- Food ingredient processing
- Biomass hydrolysis
- Fibre modification
- Coffee, tea and cocoa processing
- Oil extraction
- Animal feed processing
The enzyme can be particularly useful where plant cell walls restrict the release of juice, sugars, flavours, oils or other valuable components.
Internal link: Link the words “cellulase enzyme” above to your cellulase product page.
How Does Cellulase Work?
Cellulase does not refer to just one catalytic activity.
Cellulase preparations contain several complementary enzymes that work together to degrade cellulose.
Endoglucanases cleave internal β-1,4-glycosidic bonds within cellulose chains. This creates new exposed chain ends and reduces the overall degree of polymerisation.
Exoglucanases, also known as cellobiohydrolases, then act on those exposed chain ends and progressively release cellobiose.
Finally, β-glucosidases hydrolyse cellobiose into glucose.
Together, these activities convert insoluble cellulose into smaller soluble sugars.
In simplified form:
Cellulose → Cellulose fragments → Cellobiose → Glucose
This combination of enzyme activities allows cellulase preparations to attack both crystalline and amorphous cellulose.
How to Use Cellulase Enzyme
The effectiveness of cellulase depends on several factors, particularly:
- Temperature
- pH
- Enzyme concentration
- Treatment time
- Particle size
- Surface area
- Mixing
- Accessibility of the cellulose
Scientific & Technical's cellulase has an activity of greater than 15,000 U/g and is supplied as a brown liquid with a density of approximately 1.1–1.2 g/mL.
For most new applications, process conditions should be evaluated at small scale before moving to production.
What Temperature Does Cellulase Work At?
Scientific & Technical's cellulase operates across a temperature range of:
15–60°C
Its stated optimum temperature is:
50–55°C
Where the process allows, testing near the optimum temperature can be a useful starting point for maximising activity.
However, the highest enzyme activity does not necessarily mean the best overall commercial process.
Temperature also needs to be balanced against:
- Product stability
- Energy consumption
- Processing time
- The stability of other ingredients
- The activity of any other enzymes being used
The datasheet also notes that high temperatures above approximately 65°C can inhibit or damage cellulase activity.
What pH Does Cellulase Work At?
The enzyme has a broad operational pH range of:
pH 3.5–8.0
Its optimum pH range is:
pH 4.5–5.5
This makes the enzyme suitable for testing across a range of food and beverage applications, including many naturally acidic fruit-based processes.
As with temperature, the best pH should be determined using the actual raw material and process conditions.
Cellulase in Fruit and Vegetable Processing
One of the most useful applications of cellulase is the processing of fruit and vegetables.
Plant cell walls contain cellulose that can restrict the release of liquid and soluble material during processing.
By hydrolysing cellulose, cellulase can help disrupt these structures.
The Scientific & Technical technical datasheet specifically identifies applications including:
- Fruit juice extraction and clarification
- Vegetable juice extraction and clarification
- Citrus fruit processing
- Tomato processing
- Fruit mash maceration
- Puree and pulp production
- Production of fruit and vegetable concentrates
- Recovery of valuable compounds from processing by-products
- Improved yield during fruit and vegetable processing
Why Use Cellulase During Juice Extraction?
Breaking down cellulose-containing cell-wall material can make it easier to release liquid and soluble components from plant tissue.
Depending on the raw material and overall processing system, cellulase can therefore support:
Higher extraction efficiency
More material can potentially be released from the plant tissue.
Improved clarification
Breaking down structural plant material can improve downstream separation and clarification.
Reduced plant fibre structure
Cell-wall hydrolysis can make fruit mash or vegetable material easier to process.
Improved recovery of valuable components
Disrupting plant tissue can improve access to naturally occurring compounds trapped inside plant cells.
Cellulase in Brewing
Cellulase can also be used during brewing and other fermentation processes involving plant-derived raw materials.
The technical datasheet specifically lists brewing applications for:
Improved mash filtration and extract yield.
Cellulose and related structural material can contribute to the insoluble fraction of a mash.
Breaking down some of that plant cell-wall material may help improve processing and increase the accessibility of soluble material.
Cellulase can also be used alongside other enzyme classes where appropriate.
For example, starch-rich raw materials may require enzymes specifically targeted at starch, while cellulase targets cellulose-containing structural material.
Cellulase in Wine and Cider Production
Cellulase is also listed for use in both wine production and clarification and cider production.
During fruit processing, enzyme treatment can help break down structural plant material and improve access to juice and soluble compounds.
This can be particularly useful during maceration and pressing steps where efficient release from fruit tissue is important.
Cellulase in Plant-Based Beverages
Plant-based beverages such as:
- Oat drinks
- Soy drinks
- Almond drinks
contain naturally occurring plant cell-wall material.
The datasheet specifically identifies plant-based beverage production, including oat, soy and almond, as an application for the enzyme.
Cellulase can be used to modify cellulose-containing structures during processing and improve the release or handling of plant-derived material.
Cellulase in Coffee, Tea and Cocoa Processing
Cellulase also has applications beyond conventional fruit and vegetable processing.
The technical datasheet lists:
Coffee bean processing
Tea processing
Cocoa bean processing
These are all plant-derived raw materials where modifying cell-wall structures may help downstream processing or extraction.
Cellulase for Oil Extraction
The enzyme can also be used in:
Olive oil extraction
Vegetable oil extraction
Plant oils are stored within cellular structures.
Breaking down components of the surrounding cell-wall material can help improve accessibility during extraction.
The exact benefit will depend strongly on the raw material and extraction process, so application trials are recommended.
Cellulase for Fibre Modification
Cellulase can also be used where controlled modification of dietary fibre is required.
The datasheet identifies applications including:
- Dietary fibre modification
- Wholegrain and high-fibre bakery products
- Production of soluble dietary fibre ingredients
Controlled enzyme treatment can alter the physical characteristics of cellulose-containing fibre and may therefore be useful in food formulation and ingredient processing.
Cellulase in Biomass Processing
Cellulase is widely used for breaking down cellulose-containing biomass.
The datasheet identifies both biomass hydrolysis for food ingredient manufacture and production of fermentable sugars for food fermentations as potential applications.
A simplified process might look like:
Cellulosic raw material → Pretreatment → Cellulase hydrolysis → Soluble sugars → Further processing or fermentation
The accessibility of the cellulose has a major influence on hydrolysis efficiency.
What Factors Affect Cellulase Activity?
Cellulase performance is not determined by enzyme concentration alone.
The technical datasheet notes that cellulose hydrolysis is influenced by factors including:
Crystallinity
Highly crystalline cellulose may be more difficult for enzymes to access than more amorphous cellulose.
Particle size
Reducing particle size can increase available surface area.
Surface area
Greater exposed surface area generally provides more potential contact between enzyme and substrate.
Substrate accessibility
Cellulose buried within complex plant structures can be difficult for the enzyme to reach.
Temperature and pH
Both directly affect enzyme activity and stability.
Mixing efficiency
Good mixing helps distribute enzyme throughout the substrate.
Product inhibition
Cellobiose and glucose produced during hydrolysis can contribute to inhibition as the reaction proceeds.
This is why optimisation should consider the entire process rather than simply increasing the amount of cellulase.
What Can Inhibit Cellulase?
The technical datasheet identifies several potential cellulase inhibitors, including:
- Heavy metals including Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺
- Urea
- Guanidine hydrochloride
- SDS
- Very low or very high pH
- Temperatures above 65°C
- High concentrations of EDTA
These conditions should therefore be considered when designing an enzyme treatment.
How Much Cellulase Should I Use?
There is no single cellulase dosage that is suitable for every substrate.
The optimum enzyme concentration depends on:
- Amount of cellulose present
- Accessibility of the cellulose
- Particle size
- Temperature
- pH
- Mixing
- Treatment time
- Desired level of hydrolysis
The Scientific & Technical cellulase has an activity of greater than 15,000 U/g, but the technical datasheet does not prescribe one universal dose.
Instead, the datasheet recommends application testing to determine optimal use conditions.
A Practical Way to Optimise Cellulase Dosage
For a new application, a small dose-response experiment is a useful starting point.
Prepare several identical samples and vary only the cellulase concentration.
Keep the following constant:
- Temperature
- pH
- Treatment time
- Mixing
- Raw material concentration
Then measure an outcome relevant to the process.
Depending on the application, this could include:
- Juice yield
- Extract yield
- Filtration rate
- Soluble sugar concentration
- Viscosity
- Clarification
- Oil recovery
- Fibre breakdown
The goal is to identify the lowest enzyme concentration that delivers the required commercial result.
How Should Cellulase Be Stored?
Scientific & Technical's liquid cellulase should be stored:
At 4–25°C
In a sealed container
Away from direct sunlight
Protected from freezing
Refrigeration can improve enzyme stability.
The stated shelf life for the liquid enzyme is 12 months when stored sealed under the recommended conditions.
Cellulase Safety and Handling
Enzymes should be handled carefully, particularly where aerosols could form.
The technical datasheet states that the product is non-toxic and biodegradable but may cause allergic reactions through inhalation or skin contact.
Recommended precautions include:
- Protective clothing
- Gloves
- Safety goggles
- Avoiding aerosol formation
Users should refer to the product safety data sheet for complete handling information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cellulase
What does cellulase break down?
Cellulase breaks down cellulose and related β-1,4-glucans found in plant cell walls.
Does cellulase convert cellulose into glucose?
Cellulase preparations contain complementary enzyme activities that progressively break cellulose down into smaller carbohydrates. β-glucosidase activity then converts cellobiose into glucose.
What temperature is best for cellulase?
Scientific & Technical's cellulase operates between 15 and 60°C, with an optimum of approximately 50–55°C.
What pH is best for cellulase?
The enzyme operates between pH 3.5 and 8.0, with an optimum of approximately pH 4.5–5.5.
Can cellulase be used in fruit juice?
Yes. Fruit and vegetable juice extraction and clarification are specifically listed applications for this cellulase preparation.
Can cellulase be used in brewing?
Yes. The datasheet lists brewing applications including improved mash filtration and extract yield.
Can cellulase be used in oat, soy or almond beverages?
Yes. Plant-based beverage production, including oat, soy and almond products, is specifically listed in the technical datasheet.
How much cellulase should I add?
The ideal dosage varies according to the substrate, conditions and desired result. Application testing is recommended to determine the optimum use conditions.
High-Activity Cellulase from Scientific & Technical
Scientific & Technical supplies a high-activity liquid cellulase enzyme preparation for digesting cellulosic feedstocks.
The product provides:
Activity: >15,000 U/g
Temperature range: 15–60°C
Optimal temperature: 50–55°C
pH range: 3.5–8.0
Optimal pH: 4.5–5.5
Source: Aspergillus niger, non-GM strain
Packaging is available in 0.1 L, 1 L, 10 L and 25 L formats, with 1,000 kg totes available on request.
For process development or scale-up, contact Scientific & Technical to discuss your raw material, operating conditions and required outcome.