Comparison and Characterization of Pectins Obtained From Citrus Peels ABSTRACTPectin is a polysaccharide that is widely used in food industry. It is a linear polymer of α(1,4) linked D-galacturonic acid units with varying degrees of methylation. In the present study, the extraction characterization and comparison of some physicochemical, structural and thermal properties of pectins from lemon, mandarin, orange and grapefruit citrus peels were determined. For the production of pectin, citrus peels were extracted in a solution of citric acid (pH 1) and extracted pectins were precipitated with ethanol. All pectins were high methoxylated while lemon and orange peel pectin had better gel strength and liquid holding capacity than the others. Orange peel pectin had higher thermal stability while lemon peel and grapefruit pectins had a more organized structure than the other pectins.