Abstract
Water-soluble mucilage extracted from flaxseed has excellent hydrocolloid potential in gel formation; moreover, it can become a product of high technological value in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries because it has high viscosity in aqueous solution. The aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of extraction medium pH on extraction yield and soluble fiber content. In addition, the purification step effect was evaluated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Extractions were carried out at 3 different pH values (3.81, 6.75 and 9.69) for 13.25 h at 45 oC. The highest yield was recorded at pH 6.75; the highest soluble fiber content was found at pH 3.81. It was possible seeing that the extraction of flaxseed macromolecules in basic medium (pH 9.69) presented the best quality in comparison to other extractions. The purification step based on precipitation with ethanol did not fully remove impurities from the samples.
Highlights
Natural polymers play important roles in plants’ cell wall, as well as in several plant tissues
Kaushik, Dowling, Adhikari, Barrow, and Adhikari (2017) have found protein and polysaccharidevalues in linseed mucilages extracted under different conditions remarkably close to that found by Wannerberger et al (1991)
Infrared spectroscopy is widely used to feature polymeric materials. It allows gathering information about structural aspects, such as chemical composition, based on the vibrational analysis of polymers, since it indicates the type of chemical bond taking place in them and the intensity of the absorbed infrared radiation, which is associated with the bond rate recorded for the polymer
Summary
Natural polymers play important roles in plants’ cell wall, as well as in several plant tissues. Seed coat tissues undergo strategic changes to activate embryo protection and make dispersion and future germination easier. This modification is associated with mucilage (hydrophilic polymers) deposition in the apoplast of epidermal coating cells, which becomes available after seed hydration in order to wrap it with a gel. Gums, which have the same content as mucilage, are secreted by plants affected by wounds and pathogenicity capable of causing cell wall degradation (Western, 2012). According to Western (2012), the specific role played by these biological macromolecules appears to depend on plant species and on environmental conditions plants are subjected to
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