Pectinases are a group of enzymes widely applied in agri-food processes. This study aimed to isolate and characterize pectinase-producing yeasts and yeast-like fungi from soil and humus samples collected in a Moroccan argan forest, a region characterized by arid to semi-arid climatic conditions, with emphasis on screening and evaluating their pectinolytic activity. Among nine isolated strains, four exhibited detectable pectinolytic activity on pectin agar medium. Two promising isolates were molecularly identified by ITS region sequencing as Coniochaeta pulveracea PX765016 and Coniochaeta ligniaria PX765017. Notably, C. pulveracea PX765016 showed the highest pectinolytic potential, with a pectinolytic degradation index of 4.2 on pectin agar. This strain also exhibited maximal pectinase production after 96 h of submerged fermentation in YEPD medium under optimized conditions of pH 4, 30–35 °C, and 0.5% (w/v) pectin. The crude enzyme obtained under these conditions exhibited a specific activity of 559.90 ± 11.62 U/mg. The enzyme was subsequently subjected to sequential purification comprising ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex G-100 column, yielding a 2.99-fold purification with a final recovery of 14%. The purified enzyme exhibited optimal activity at pH 6.0 and 40–55 °C, with a reaction time of 20 min. Kinetic analysis of pectin hydrolysis revealed a Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) of 7.33 mg pectin per mL and a maximum reaction velocity (Vmax) of 1666.7 U/mg. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pectinase production by a member of the genus Coniochaeta, and the first characterization of pectinase activity from C. pulveracea.

Harmful algal blooms pose a persistent threat to the integrity of freshwater ecosystems and public health. However, there are no selective chemical control agents available to suppress cyanobacterial growth without damaging beneficial phytoplankton. In this study, ten structurally diverse monoterpenes were assessed in vitro for their differential activity against the potent toxin-producing cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the ecologically valuable microalga Chlorella sorokiniana using disc diffusion (DDM) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. Inhibition zones against M. aeruginosa ranged from 6.9 to 43.6 mm, with thymol recording the largest zone (43.6 mm). MIC values ranged from 0.25 to >1 mg/mL for both organisms, and selectivity indices identified camphor and carvone as the most cyanobacterium-preferential compounds, while carene and α-pinene showed the inverse selectivity pattern. Molecular docking against six AlphaFold2-predicted target proteins, photosynthetic complexes, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) synthase subunits, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) from both organisms, revealed binding affinities between −3.9 and −6.2 kcal/mol. Phenolic monoterpenes consistently engaged active-site glutamate and aspartate residues via hydrogen bonds and Pi–Anion interactions, most strikingly in the M. aeruginosa ATP synthase, whereas the M. aeruginosa SOD represented the least amenable target for all compounds. Computational ADMET profiling confirmed favorable pharmacokinetic properties and low predicted toxicity for the full panel.