Degradation of pectic substances in green flax fibre by <i>Erwinia carotovora</i>

Abstract

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.