Enzymes are the workhorses of biochemistry. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (speed up) specific chemical reactionsâ€”increasing reaction rates by factors of at least a million. Pectinase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of pectin, a component of the cell wall in fruits such as apples and oranges. Pectinase is used commercially to aid in extracting juice from fruit. By enzymatically breaking down the cell wall, pectinase releases the juice from within the cells. Pectinase is also used for clarifying the extracted juice.