Rheological properties of pectin-enriched products isolated from butternut (Cucurbita moschata Duch ex Poiret)

Abstract

Abstract Rheological behavior of five different pectin-enriched products obtained from a cell wall enriched powder of butternut (Cucurbita moschata Duch ex Poiret) was evaluated through flow and oscillatory assays. The product SE was obtained through treatment with citrate buffer; C1 and C2 were obtained using cellulase and different enzyme–substrate ratios while H1 and H2 resulted from hemicellulase treatment at different levels. SE- and H1-pectin-enriched fractions showed the best performance as thickeners as indicated by their highest Newtonian viscosities and time constants on shear-thinning along the flow. These fractions showed a structure with the highest density of interactions between the hydrated macromolecules when solutions were evaluated at rest. Fractions obtained with a higher activity of hemicellulase (H2) or with the lowest activity of cellulase assayed (C1) showed the same degree of structure when evaluated at rest, while C2-fraction presented the lowest density of macromolecular interactions in water, behaving as a diluted hydrocolloid solution as confirmed by its fitting to the Cox–Merz rule. Molecular weight distribution of polysaccharide fractions along with chemical composition helped to explain the rheological behavior of these isolated fractions which contained between 39 and 78 g of galacturonic acid per 100 g of product. With the exception of C2 fraction, pectin-enriched products isolated from butternut showed an interesting range of thickening properties and can be used as thickeners in the food industry.