*1.2.3.1 Microbial pectinase*

Pectinase is one of the important factors in the plant pathological process, plantmicrobe symbiosis and in the decomposition of plant decay matters. The microbial pectinase is playing important role in nature by contributing natural recycling of carbon in the environment. Different microorganisms are known to produced pectinase with different molecular mass and catalytic properties. *Aspergillus niger* is mostly used for the industrial production of pectinase [29]. The pectinases from fungus sources are usually acidic in nature and only can work in acid conditions. Production of alkaline pectinase remains under developed, as only few reports are available on the production alkaline pectinase by bacterial strains [30–32]. Alkaline pectinase can be used for the treatment of pectineus substances containing wastewater from vegetable and food processing industries [33].

## *1.2.3.2 Bacillus*

*Bacillus* is one of the large genera of bacterial strains. It is rod-shaped, endospore bearing bacteria and belongs to the family *Firmicutes.* The endospores of *Bacillus* are more resistant to heat, drying, disinfectants and other destructive agents. The genus *Bacillus* covered a great diversity of strains and some of them strictly aerobic, while the other are facultative anaerobic. The *Bacillus* especially *Bacillus subtilis* and *Bacillus licheniformis* are excellent candidates for large-scale production of commercially important enzymes.

#### *1.2.3.3 B. licheniformis*

*B. licheniformis* is a gram positive, rod-shaped and endospore forming bacterial strain, used for the production of different industrial important products. *B. licheniformis* is a saprophytic bacterium in nature and commonly found in soil and other natural environment. The *B. licheniformis* is capable of growing on a large diversity of nutrient sources because of synthesizing and secreting different hydrolytic enzymes, and this quality makes the *B. licheniformis* an industrial important microorganism.

Following are some of very important commercial applications of *B. licheniformis.*

