Highest Pectin Research Articles

Production and Evaluation of Jam Produced from Apple and Banana Blends

Jam production from fruits is an effective means of ensuring availability of fruits at off-seasons. The study aimed at formulating an acceptable jam from apple and banana blends. The proximate composition of the jam samples were determined. Jams were produced from blends of apple and banana in the ratio 50:50, 60:40, and 70:30 respectively. The proximate composition result of the jam produced indicated moisture content between 40.32-55.20 %, ash content of 0.33-0.53 %, fat content of 0.04-0.16 %, protein content of 0.26-0.69 % and carbohydrate content of 35.01-59.99 %. The nutritional composition of the jam produced indicated Total Soluble Solids (TSS (oB)) between 58.80 to 68.0 %. The control sample has lowest TSS of 58.8 % while sample AB3 (70 % apple and 30 % banana) had the highest TSS value. The pH of the jam ranged from 3.00 to 3.11, the ascorbic acid composition of the formulated jam ranged from 5.30 to 6.01 while the total sugar of the formulated jam ranged from 55.76 to 61.60 % and the pectin content of the jam ranged from 5.02 to 5.74 %. The control sample had the lowest pectin content of 5.02 % while sample AB3 (70 % apple, 30 % banana), had the highest pectin content, followed by AB2 (60 % apple, 40 % banana) and AB1 (50 % apple, 50 % banana) in that order. The sensory properties of the jam revealed that sample AB1 which comprises of 50 % apple and 50 % banana was rated best in term of colour, taste, aroma, texture, spread-ability, and overall acceptability, followed by sample AB2 (60 % apple, 40 % banana). The findings reveal that apple and banana could be used in the preparation of a quality jam without any adverse effect on the nutritional quality.

Boost Pectin Production using Continuous System of Subcritical Water Extraction

The dumping of waste banana peels from local chip manufacturing has encouraged sustainable food trends to valorize these peels as pectin sources. In this study, soluble pectin from banana peels was extracted using a continuous subcritical water extraction system (SWE). This method was a promising fast extraction process with a water solvent that was environmentally friendly. Temperature (100 to 160 °C) and extraction time (5 to 50 minutes) were manipulated, with a fixed pressure of 15 MPa, a flow rate of 15 mL/min, and a particle size of 0.6 mm. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to generate approximately 13 experimental trials from the central composite design. Based on linear and square models, the results revealed that the interaction of temperature and time to pectin yield had a significant effect. At 100°C for 5 minutes, an optimal condition for producing pectin yield was achieved, which risen the highest pectin yield by 26%. As a result, the SWE continuous system promoted increased pectin production in the shortest extraction time. In short, banana peel pectin is a powder that serves a primary function in numerous food, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical applications.

The effect of degree of esterification of pectin on the interaction between pectin and wheat gluten protein

Pectins with different degree of esterification (DE) (37, 46, 58, 63 and 73%) were prepared by alkali method and the effect of the DE on the interaction between pectin and wheat gluten protein was investigated in the present study. The results showed that low-ester pectin increased the water holding capacity (WHC) and viscoelasticity of gluten protein. The low-ester pectin promoted the conversion of sulfhydryl groups (-SH) to disulfide bonds (-S-S-). Compared with control gluten protein, the -S-S- content of gluten protein added with low-ester pectin significantly increased from 18.82 to 21.65 μmol/g, indicating that the gluten network structure was strengthened. Compared with high-ester pectin, low-ester pectin increased β-sheet content by 18.48%, suggesting that the stability of gluten protein was enhanced. In addition, intrinsic fluorescence spectra showed that the maximum intrinsic fluorescence intensity (Imax) of gluten protein added with low-ester pectin decreased from 826.53 to 630.47. Meanwhile, the surface hydrophobicity (H0) of gluten protein added with low-ester pectin decreased from 497.33 to 419.82. These results showed that low-ester pectin interacted more easily with gluten protein than high-ester pectin and formed some aggregates. Moreover, SEM and mercury intrusion results indicated that the low-ester pectin (DE-46%) was beneficial to maintaining the gluten network structure. These results will provide a theoretical basis for the application of pectin in wheat flour products.

PENGARUH DAYA GELOMBANG MIKRO DAN RASIO BAHAN-PELARUT PADA RENDEMEN DAN SIFAT FISIKOKIMIA PEKTIN DARI KULIT BUAH KAKAO

Cocoa pod (Theobroma cacao L.) are composed of 75% cocoa husk which is discarded as waste during the processing of cocoa beans. Utilization of cocoa husk has been studied, including as a source of pectin. Conventional pectin extraction tends to take a long time, so it is necessary to develop a new method. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is used because it is more efficient. In this study, the effect of microwave power and cocoa husk-solvent ratio on the yield and characteristics of pectin was investigated. This research also determines the best combination to produce pectin from cocoa pod husk. Extraction was carried out for 6 minutes with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid (HCl) at microwave power (600 and 800 W) and cocoa husk-solvent ratio (1:20, 1:30 and 1:40 w/v). The results showed that both factors affected the characteristics of the pectin except water content. The optimum conditions for extracting pectin from cocoa pod husk were at 800 W microwave power and 1:30 (w/v) cocoa husk-solvent ratio. Pectin produced was 2.63 g per 100 g of dried cocoa husk and was grouped into low methoxyl and high ester pectin. The characteristics of pectin such as moisture content, ash content, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, galacturonic acid content and degree of esterification is 15.57±1.23%, 2.43±0.12%, 765.3±17.08 mg, 4.83±0.18%, 50.4±0.54% and 54.4±1.51%, respectively.

Relationship of the methanol production, pectin and pectinase activity during apple wine fermentation and aging

Understanding pectin structure and pectinase activity was important to control methanol content in apple wine. Therefore, this study compared inoculated fermentation (I), spontaneous fermentation (S) and inoculated fermentation combined with CaCl2 treatment (I & CaCl2) to explore their differences in methanol production, pectin peak molecular weight (Mp), and the activities of pectin methyl esterase (PME), pectin lyase (PL) and polygalacturonase (PG). The results showed that the activities of PME, PL and PG were intensively inhibited during fermentation; however, they still retained 3.41–5.84% (PME), 9.46–17.71% (PL) and 9.17–10.31% (PG) of the initial activities after aging for 30 days. Therefore, the methanol content was increased in all three aged wines even aging at 4 °C. CaCl2 promoted the PME and PL activities, and thus accelerated the methanol production. Because the pectin with Mp 3.07 kDa was retained by CaCl2, the highest pectin content was found in wine I & CaCl2 (160.69 mg/L), which was 95.47 mg/L higher than that in wine I, and 107.03 mg/L higher than that in wine S. In group S, the long lag period allowed pectin to withstand the pectinases inherent in apple juice for a long time, which was conducive to the cleavage of pectin to Mp lower than 3 kDa continuously, its further degradation led to the lowest pectin content (53.65 mg/L) in wine. Hence, inhibiting the pectinases activities, or shortening the aging period would play an important role in decreasing the methanol content in apple wine.

A Comparative Assessment on the Recovery of Pectin and Phenolic Fractions from Aqueous and DES Extracts Obtained from Melon Peels

This work evaluates the purification of melon peel extracts obtained by two eco-friendly methods: autohydrolysis and sodium acetate/urea/water extraction (1:3:1.6), an alkaline deep eutectic solvent (DES). For that, sequential ethanol precipitation and resin adsorption/desorption stages were proposed for the separate recovery of the pectic and phenolic fractions. In order to screen the optimal purification conditions, in a first step, the effect of ethanol concentrations (from 70 to 85%) on the precipitation of pectic oligosaccharides was assayed. Subsequently, the influence of the selected resin (Amberlite XAD4, XAD16HP and XAD7HP), liquid/resin ratios, and desorption sequences (varying ethanol concentrations and pH) on the phenolic compounds was also studied. The highest pectin yields were achieved with 85% ethanol: 16.11 and 18.05 g pectin/100 g water-insoluble solids (WIS) for autohydrolysis and DES extracts, respectively. All pectins presented a galacturonic acid content of about 45%, while autohydrolysis pectin presented a higher amount of neutral sugar side chains. The presence of low methoxyl GalA and both linear and branched OGalA with DP from 2 to 20 was also confirmed by FTIR and HPAEC-PAD analysis, respectively. Concerning the phenolic fraction, the resin adsorption and desorption steps at the selected conditions (XAD4 resin, liquid/resin ratio of 2 mL/g, eluted with 50% ethanol thrice) resulted in 79.55 and 4.08 mg GAE/g non-volatile content (NVC) for autohydrolysis and DES extracts, respectively, with improved antioxidant capacity. Moreover, some phenolic acids (protocatechuic and ferulic acids) and flavonoids (orientin, vitexin and naringenin) were quantified in the extracts by HPLC–PDA-MS/MS.

Evaluation of Adding Natural Gum to Pectin Extracted from Ecuadorian Citrus Peels as an Eco-Friendly Corrosion Inhibitor for Carbon Steel.

The production and use of eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors allows valuable compounds contained in plant waste to be identified and repurposed while reducing the use of polluting synthetic substances. Pectin extracted from Tahiti limes (Citrus latifolia) and King mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.) in addition to natural gums—xanthan gum and latex from the “lechero” plant (Euphorbia laurifolia)—were used to create an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor. The optimal extraction conditions for pectin were determined from different combinations of pH, temperature, and time in a 23 factorial design and evaluated according to the obtained pectin yield. The highest pectin extraction yields (38.10% and 41.20% from King mandarin and lime, respectively) were reached at pH = 1, 85 °C, and 2 h. Extraction of pectic compounds was confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry analyses. Subsequently, a simplex-centroid mixture design was applied to determine the formulation of extracted pectin and natural gums that achieved the highest corrosion inhibitor effect (linear polarization and weight loss methods in NACE 1D-196 saline media using API-5LX52 carbon steel). Impedance spectroscopy analysis showed that the addition of xanthan gum to pectin (formulation 50% pectin–50% xanthan gum) improved the corrosion inhibitor effect from 29.20 to 78.21% at 400 ppm due to higher adsorption of inhibitory molecules on the metal surface.

Optimization and Preliminary Physicochemical Characterization of Pectin Extraction from Watermelon Rind (Citrullus lanatus) with Citric Acid.

Watermelon rind was used for the pectin extraction with citric acid as the extractant solvent. The effects of pH (2.0-3.0), extraction time (45-75 min), and liquid-solid ratio (10 : 1 to 40 : 1 mL/g) on the pectin yield, degree of esterification, methoxyl content, and anhydrouronic acid content were investigated using Box-Behnken surface response experimental design. The pH was the most significant variable for the pectin yield and properties. The responses optimized separately showed different optimal conditions for each one of the variables studied in this work. Therefore, the desirability function was used to determine the sole theoretical optimum for the highest pectin yield and highest anhydrouronic acid content, which was found to be pH of 2.0, extraction time of 62.31 min, and liquid-solid ratio of 35.07 mL/g. Under this optimal condition, the pectin yield, degree of esterification, methoxyl content, and anhydrouronic acid content were 24.30%, 73.30%, 10.45%, and 81.33%, respectively. At optimal conditions, watermelon rind pectin can be classified as high methoxyl and rapid-set pectin with high quality and high purity. Practical Applications. This study evaluated the pectin extraction from watermelon rind and carried out an optimization of multiple responses as a function of pH, time, and liquid-solid ratio to obtain the best preliminary quality parameters (pectin yield and anhydrouronic acid content). The results revealed that watermelon rind waste can be an inexpensive source to obtain good pectin quality and high purity. According to the chemical characterization and physicochemical properties studied, the extracted pectin from watermelon rind would have a high potential to be used in food industry.

Use of fruit epicarps to formulate pectin-based bioactive films / Utilização de epicarpos de frutos para formulação de filmes bioativos à base de pectinas

The functional properties of biofilms can vary according to the biopolymer used as the raw material; thus, in the search for alternative sources for preparation of biodegradable films, fruits and vegetables have been used to extract compounds of interest with applications in the food industry. The objective of this work was to obtain and characterize bioactive films based on pectin extracted from the epicarps (skin) of the fruit. The genipap (Genipa americana), red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) and star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) were collected, washed, pulped and dried at 50 °C for 24 h, and their epicarps were ground and subjected to pectin extraction using the casting method. The films were characterized as to their visual appearance, moisture, pH, water solubility and antioxidant activity. The pectin-based films of G. americana and H. polyrhizus showed a yellowish color, while A. carambola was dark brown. The highest pectin yield (29%) and moisture content (13.9%) were obtained from the H. polyrhizus film, while A. carambola showed the highest solubility in water (98.6%) and had the highest pH (3.9). Additionally, the film based on A. carambola showed greater antioxidant potential against ABTS (30.5%) and DPPH (34%), as well as greater reducing power (0.262 absorbance at 750 nm) and content of total phenolic compounds (553 mg GAE/100 g), whereas H. polyrhizus had a higher percentage of chelating ability (27%). The physicochemical characteristics and bioactive properties exhibited make the film formulation a viable alternative for the food industry.

Extraction optimization and structural characterization of pectin from persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki Thunb. var. Rojo brillante)

In this work we have efficiently extracted and characterized pectin from different tissues of astringent (AS) and non-astringent (NAS) persimmon fruits (peel, pulp, whole fruit) for the first time. The highest pectin extraction (≥7.2%) was carried out at 80 °C, 120 min with 1.5% sodium citrate in peel of both AS and NAS persimmon samples. All persimmon pectins showed a molecular weight and galacturonic acid content upper than 328 kDa and 78%, respectively, indicating their suitability as food ingredient. Pectin extracted from AS pulp and peel tissues exhibited an enriched structure in rhamnose and arabinose, whereas the opposite behavior was observed in NAS persimmon whole fruit samples. Remarkably, both pulp tissues (AS and NAS) presented the highest levels of glucose and mannose, non-pectic carbohydrates. In addition, techno-functional assessment (zeta potential, particle size, apparent viscosity, gelation) showed the suitability of the persimmon pectins for a broad range of industrial applications.

Analysis of the pectin extraction process at recycling of secondary material resources

The object of research is the secondary material resources of processing plant and animal raw materials, namely fruit pomace and milk whey. One of the most problematic areas is that the waste of these industries has high rates of biological and chemical oxygen consumption of wastewater, which significantly impairs the operation of local and city treatment facilities. In addition, the parameters of extraction and determination of the quality indicators of the obtained product are not well defined. The processing of whey and pomace of fruit crops can reduce the environmental burden on the environment and increase the efficiency of technological processes through resource conservation and obtaining a surplus product. The problem is solved, in particular, by using the process of extracting plant waste using milk whey and the process of energy-saving membrane concentration. In the course of the study, let’s use pectin-containing plant waste from juice production, namely watermelon, pumpkin, quince, beetroot, apple and a mixture of orange and tangerine pomace. The results obtained indicate that the process of extracting apple pomace with milk whey is promising, since the highest pectin content in the extract is established for apple pomace. The main amount of pectin substances passes into the extract starting from 75 minutes to 90 minutes. Extraction-hydrolysis for 2 hours at a temperature of 85 °C, pH=2–2.5 units determines the best results. Ultrafiltration of the obtained extract makes it possible to increase the pectin content up to 3.0 % with a protein content of more than 6.0 %. The membranes used in the experiment are characterized by high selectivity for protein and pectin. The fact is established that diafiltration makes it possible to effectively purify whey-pectin concentrates from ballast impurities with simultaneous enrichment of the concentrate with high-molecular components of whey. A technological scheme for the production of pectin-whey concentrate with high organoleptic and detoxification characteristics is proposed. The proposed technological process has a number of positive features, in particular, a high content of pectin substances, high value indicators, a significant reduction in the burden on the environment, economic benefits through energy conservation and obtaining a surplus product.

An optimal biorefinery development for pectin and biofuels production from orange wastes without enzyme consumption

Orange wastes, including peel and pulp, were used as a biorefinery feedstock to produce pectin, ethanol, and biogas. The orange wastes were subjected to dilute acid treatment with sulfuric acid (1% w/v) at 94, 100, 140, and 180 °C for 60, 30, and 0 min. The sulfuric acid treatment was performed for pectin extraction, sugars hydrolysis, and lignocellulose pretreatment. The pectin was extracted from the hydrolysate, the liquor was used to produce ethanol, and the pretreated solid was anaerobically digested to produce biogas. The highest pectin extraction yield was 24.7 % (w/w) from orange peel and 23.7 % (w/w) from pulp, which was obtained from the supernatants of treatment at 94 °C for 60 min. Fourier transfer infrared spectrometer results confirmed the similar characteristics of the extracted pectin to a commercial product. The galacturonic acid content (an indicator of pectin purity) of pectin extracted from orange peel was 70.2 % and from orange pulp was 69.9 %, at the optimum conditions. The pectin obtained from the acid treatment at 94 °C for 60 min had a degree of esterification higher than 69 %, whereas it was less than 45 % for that obtained after treatment at 140 °C for 30 min. The maximum ethanol yields of 81.5 % (from peel) and 82.9 % (from pulp) were achieved from the hydrolysate of the acid treatment at 140 °C for 30 min. The highest methane yields were 176.8 mL/g volatile solids (from the untreated peel) and 191.8 mL/g volatile solids (from the untreated pulp). Overall, the maximum total product value was 2,472.9 USD/t orange wastes, which was achieved from dilute acid treatment at 94 °C for 60 min. At the optimal conditions for high production of pectin, without any enzyme consumption, 244 kg of pectin, 26.5 L of ethanol, and 36 m3 of methane were produced from 1 t of orange wastes.

The effect of sodium hexametaphosphate on the efficiency of pectin in stabilizing acidified milk drinks

The combined effect of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) (0.0125%, 0.025% and 0.05% w/w) and High methoxyl (HM)-pectin (0.06–0.42% w/w) on the stability and physico-chemical properties of acidified milk drinks (AMDs) was investigated. Analytical centrifugation, particle size distributions, zeta potential, steady shear, and oscillatory rheological measurements were used to characterize the AMD samples. Results indicated that the addition of 0.025% w/w was able to improve stability of the samples by a factor of 1.7 or more, depending on the pectin concentration. In the presence of SHMP, pectin-stabilized AMD samples had smaller particle size and polydispersity. Steady shear rheological data showed that the increase in viscosity due to bridging flocculation at the smallest pectin dosages was reduced by SHMP, whereas a synergistic effect was observed when SHMP was added to samples with a higher concentration of pectin. This study revealed that SHMP could numerically increase the zeta potential of AMD to more negative values. Thus higher stability was achieved by boosting the electrostatic interactions and the formation of soluble protein-pectin complexes. The presence of SHMP augmented the viscosity of the AMD samples with the highest pectin dosages, perhaps owing to an extended structure of pectin in the presence of less available calcium ions. Results of this study contribute to the general understanding of protein-polysaccharide interactions in acidified milk drinks and inspire to finding ways to improve the efficiency of stabilizers.

Portakal Suyunun Pastörizasyonunda Mikrodalga ve Termosonikasyon Uygulamalarının Kalite Üzerine Etkileri

Bu çalışmanın amacı, mikrodalga, termosonikasyon ve geleneksel olmak üzere üç farklı yöntemle portakal sularının pastörize edilmesi ve kalite özelliklerinin kıyaslanmasıdır. Bu çalışmada termosonikasyon, mikrodalga (540, 720, 900W) ve geleneksel yöntemle aynı sıcaklıkta (85°C) pastörize edilen taze sıkılmış portakal sularında pektin metil esteraz enzim inaktivasyonu incelenmiş ve C vitamini, renk değerleri, toplam fenolik madde ve toplam karotenoid miktarları ölçülmüştür. Geleneksel, termosonikasyon ve mikrodalga ile pastörize edilen portakal sularının işlem süreleri sırasıyla 180, 120 ve 60-85 s olarak tespit edilmiştir. Pektin metil esteraz enziminin aktivasyonu en fazla (%95,64) 900 W gücünde mikrodalga uygulamasında saptanmıştır. Toplam fenolik madde içeriğindeki kayıp taze portakal suyuna kıyasla termosonikasyon işlemi ile %6,15 iken, geleneksel yöntemde bu kayıp %16,11 olarak bulunmuştur. Toplam renk farkı 7,98 değeri ile en düşük termosonikasyon uygulamasında bulunmuş, en yüksek C vitamini içeriği (52,52 mg/100 mL) ise 540 W gücünde mikrodalga uygulaması ile pastörize edilen örneklerde saptanmıştır.

Valorization of unripe papaya for pectin recovery by conventional extraction and compressed fluids

The aim of the study was to establish a green protocol for pectin extraction from unripe papaya flour (UPF), comparing conventional acid hydrolysis (CONV) and compressed fluid extraction techniques, including Pressurized Hot Water Extraction (PHWE) and Enhanced Solvent Extraction (ESE). Highest pectin yields were achieved with ESE (216 ± 10.8 mg g−1) when CO2+H2O (20:80) + citric acid (0.05 mol L−1) was applied (40 MPa/80 °C/60 min/300–710 µm), similar to that obtained by CONV (202 ± 49.5 mg g−1) and PHWE (208.0 ± 9.4 mg g−1) using oxalic acid. UPF pectin presented an average galacturonic acid (GalA) content of 73% (w/w) and degree of esterification (DE) of 57.8%, and it was composed predominantly of galactose, glucose and rhamnose. This pectic substance has been shown to contain two main types of pectic chains: rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I, average 58%) proportionally higher than homogalacturonan (HG, average 28%). Compressed fluid extraction techniques allowed obtaining high quality pectin with similar composition to other commercial products.

Extraction of pectin from banana (Musa acuminata x balbisiana) peel waste flour using crude enzymes secreted by Aspergillus niger

Intensive cultivation has maintained annual banana production in Indonesia at about 7 million tons since 2015. Banana fruits bear about 35 - 40% weight of peel waste, which contains 20.28 g pectin/100 g the dry matter. The peel waste may trigger serious environmental problems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of substrate concentrations and time on the pectin yield extraction from banana peel waste flour using crude pectinase secreted by Aspergillus niger. Crude pectinases were prepared through batch fermentation of banana peel flour using A. niger. The enzymes were used to hydrolyze banana peel waste flour at various substrate concentrations and time at 323 K. The results indicate that the increase of both extraction parameters leads to increase the pectin yield to some extent and then level off. However, further increase of both extraction parameters cause inhibition by galacturonic acid. The highest pectin yield (10.8% weight) was achieved at 323 K and 0.067g/mL substrate concentration for 120 minutes. Applications of this result are expected to increase the economic value of banana peel waste. However, further study in the effect of other extraction parameters such as temperature, enzyme loading, pH, flour size and pectin purification are required.

Characterization and Bioactivity Test of Pectin from Musa balbisiana Peel Extracted using Various Acid Solvents

Banana (Musaceaea) is one of the highest production fruits in Indonesia, which amounted to 7,162,685 tons in 2017. Banana peel waste produced can reach 40% of the total production of fresh bananas. Kepok banana peel contains a lot of nutrients and pectin. Pectin levels in banana peel ranged from 1.92% to 3.25% of dry weight. This study aims to characterize pectin from kepok banana peel (Musa balbisiana) extracted using nitric acid, citric acid, and HCl and screening potential of pectin bioactivity based on LC50 values. The highest pectin yield was obtained from extraction using pH 4 citrate buffer which was 3.68 ± 1.23%. In general, the characteristics of the best pectin from kepok banana peel are pectin extracted with HNO3 pH 4 with methoxyl degree 3.74 ± 0.34%, galacturonate content 87.64 ± 8.36%, and esterification degree 24.24 ± 0.098%. Based on the LC50 value the pectin extraction results can be classified into two, namely commercial pectin and pectin HCl pH 1.5 which is low bioactivity (LC50 > 100 ppm), and pH 4 HNO3 pectin and pH 4 citrate buffer pectin which has high bioactivity (LC50 ≤ 30 ppm).
 
 Keywords: Cytotoxicity, galakturonat, kepok banana pectin, methoxyl

Comparative Extraction Performance of Solvent Systems in the Extraction and Characterization of Pectin from Prosopis Africana Seed Gum

Pectin was separately extracted in warm water bath from sun-dried and crushed Prosopis africana seed gum, using 0.05 M solutions of HCl, H2SO4, CH3COOH, C6H8O7 and a 3:2 blend of (H2SO4: C6H8O7). The physicochemical properties of pectin extracted from the Prosopis africana seed gum shows the following: colour varied from beige-brown to wheat brown, equivalent weight (1,818.18 mg/mol to 25,000 mg/mol), methoxyl content (0.124 % to 1.705 %), moisture content (12 % to 38 %) and ash content (2 %) for all the solvent system used. Also, the comparative solvent performance shows that the H2SO4:C6H8O7 solvent blend was the most effective for pectin extraction followed by the solvent HCl and H2SO4, while C6H8O7 was the least effective. The comparative pectin yield of Prosopis africana seed gum using selected acid solvent ranged from 6.94 % to 15.28 %. Among the solvents under study, the H2SO4:C6H8O7 solvent blend gave the highest pectin yield (15.28 %) with beige-brown, low methoxyl pectin of high purity and could be used as a functional food ingredient domestically and industrially

Comparison of Chemical and Nutritional Values of Extracted Pectin from Selected Local Banana Cultivars of Bangladesh

The experiment was conducted to find out the chemical and nutritional values of pectin from selected Banana cultivars in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh. Pectin was extracted from the peels of banana at 1st stage of ripening (light green peel). The result showed that pectin content in banana peels at 1st stage of ripening varied from 36.10% to 46.12% based on cultivar type. The highest pectin content was found in peels of ‘Sagor’ banana. The pectin from unripe peels (1st stage of ripening) characterized by the moisture (23.29 and 24.75%), ash content (16.67 and 16.24%),equivalent weight (666.67 and 555.56), methoxyl content (26.66 and 12.40%), anhydrouronic acid content (177.76 and 102.08%), degree of esterification (85.15 and 68.97%), vitamin C (0.038 and 0.044%), beta carotene (0.73 and 1.01 mg g-1), vitamin A (1.21 and 1.68 mg g-1),and iron (0.26 and 0.47%) for the ‘Chinichampa’ and ‘Sagor’, respectively. Therefore, it infers that the extracted pectin from unripe banana peels could be compared as high methoxyl pectin which could be used to produce more-sticky gel from ‘Chinichampa’ followed by ‘Sagor’.

Partial Characterization of Watermelon Albedo Pectin Extracted Using Citric Acid Combined with Microwave Assisted Extraction

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of microwave power and extraction time on pectin chemical characteristics of watermelon albedo using citric acid combined with Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) method. Microwave power variations being applied were 50% (225 W), 75% (315 W), and 100% (450 W) and the extraction times were 1 minute, 2 minutes and 3 minutes. The data obtained was statistically analysed using two-way Analysis of Variance at a significance level of 5% continued by Duncan Multiple Range Test if there was a significant difference. The results showed that the variation of power and extraction time significantly affect yield, equivalent weight, degree of methylation, galacturonic acid content, and degree of esterification. Pectin yield was ranging from 2.19% to 5.34% and equivalent weight of the pectin ranging from 441.09 mg to 1432.00 mg. Pectin from the watermelon albedo was classified as low methoxyl pectin with degree of methylation ranged from 4.82%–6.92%. Galacturonic acid content of the pectin obtained was ranging from 39.83% to 79.21%. The pectin had a degree of esterification ranging from 49.57% to 68.74% which was classified as high ester pectin.