Abstract. Shaibu CO, Dinshiya J, Shaibu VE. 2022. Short Communication: Extraction and characterization of pectin from ripe and unripe mango (Mangifera indica) peel. Asian J Nat Prod Biochem 20: 16-20. Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide present in the cell walls of different plants at different concentrations with widespread applications. This work aimed at extracting and characterizing pectin from ripe and unripe mango peel to investigate the effect of ripeness on the yield and quality of mango pectin. To obtain the optimum extraction condition, pectin was extracted at varying temperatures, time and pH using 0.1 N HCl as the extraction solvent. The maximum yield of pectin was found to be 22.67% for ripe mango peel and 21.90% for unripe mango peel. The optimum extraction conditions were found to be 90ºC, 60mins and pH 1.5. The pectin extracted using the optimum extraction conditions was then characterized. The moisture content, ash content, methoxyl content, equivalent weight, anhydrouronic acid and degree of esterification of the ripe mango peel pectin were found to be 8.76±0.08%, 10.12±0.47%, 9.17±0.27%, 883.07±13.85 g, 72.45±0.59 and 72.52±0.09% , respectively. In contrast, those of unripe mango peel pectin were found to be 8.13±0.13%, 9.12±0.34%, 8.83±0.19%, 823.38±14.07 g, and 71.56±0.34%, 70.34±0.38%, respectively. This study showed that ripe mango peel might be more suitable for use as a pectin source. However, pectin extracted from ripe and unripe mango peel could be considered an alternative source of pectin in food processing, pharmaceutical industries, and various places of pectin application.