Abstract
Pectins are plant cell wall natural heteropolysaccharides composed mainly of α-1-4 d-galacturonic acid units, which may or may not be methyl esterified, possesses neutral sugars branching that harbor functional moieties. Physicochemical features as pH, temperature, ions concentration, and cosolute presence, affect directly the extraction yield and gelling capacity of pectins. The chemical and structural features of this polysaccharide enables its interaction with a wide range of molecules, a property that scientists profit from to form new composite matrices for target/controlled delivery of therapeutic molecules, genes or cells. Considered a prebiotic dietary fiber, pectins meetmany regulations easily, regarding health applications within the pharmaceutical industry as a raw material and as an agent for the prevention of cancer. Thus, this review lists many emergent pectin-based composite materials which will probably palliate the impact of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, aid to forestall actual epidemics, expand the ken of food additives and food products design.
Highlights
Pectins are plant cell wall structural polysaccharides composed mainly of galacturonic acid units with variations in composition, structure and molecular weight
Pectins with more than 50% of the carboxyl groups esterified are named as high methoxyl (HM) and pectins with less than 50% of carboxyl groups esterified are classified as low methoxyl (LM) [32,33]
Pectin can be found in almost all plants, but commercially most pectins are obtained from citrus fruits like orange, lemons, grapefruit, and apples [64,65]
Summary
Pectins are plant cell wall structural polysaccharides composed mainly of galacturonic acid units with variations in composition, structure and molecular weight. Pectins contribute to the firmness and structure of plant tissue, being involved in the intercellular adhesion and mechanical resistance of the cell wall, and they have an important role in the development of plant cells [6,7], providing turgidity and resistance to low temperatures and drought [8] These structural polysaccharides have other important functions in the interactions between plants and pathogens [9]; the amount and nature of pectin are critical for texture in fruits and vegetables during their growth, maturation, storage and processing [7]. The functional groups present in the pectin structure that allow the interaction with a variety of molecules are briefly presented in the sections below
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