Pectins and Olive Pectins: From Biotechnology to Human Health

Abstract

Pectins are a component of the complex heteropolysaccharide mixture present in the cell wall of higher plants. Structurally, the pectin backbone includes galacturonic acid to which neutral sugars are attached, resulting in functional regions in which the esterification of residues is crucial. Pectins influence many physiological processes in plants and are used industrially for both food and non-food applications. Pectin-based compounds are also a promising natural source of health-beneficial bioactive molecules. The properties of pectins have generated interest in the extraction of these polysaccharides from natural sources using environmentally friendly protocols that maintain the native pectin structure. Many fruit by-products are sources of pectins; however, owing to the wide range of applications in various fields, novel plants are now being explored as potential sources. Olives, the fruit of the olive tree, are consumed as part of the healthy Mediterranean diet or processed into olive oil. Pectins from olives have recently emerged as promising compounds with health-beneficial effects. This review details the current knowledge on the structure of pectins and describes the conventional and novel techniques of pectin extraction. The versatile properties of pectins, which make them promising bioactive compounds for industry and health promotion, are also considered.

Green Carbon Dots as Additives of Biopolymer Films for Preserving from Oxidation of Oil-Based Products

“…It is important to note that neat BPFs exhibit a relatively high antioxidant activity itself, with a 55% inhibition of DPPH• under the experimental conditions used. This fact could be attributed to the antioxidant activity of casein [ 39 ] and pectin [ 48 ]. It has been demonstrated that the presence of aromatic amino acids such as Trp, Tyr and Phe favour the antioxidant activity of peptides and that the indole and pyrrolidine rings in Trp and Pro, respectively, can act as hydrogen donors (via hydroxyl groups) in the deactivation of hydroxyl radicals [ 40 , 49 ].…”

Towards the Integral Valorization of Olive Pomace‐Derived Biomasses through Biorefinery Strategies

“…It is a polymer with linear structure in which few hundred to thousand galacturonic acid units are linked via α-1,4-glycosidic bond forming the backbone, which can be substituted with other neutral sugars (e.g., rhamnose, galactose, mannose, glucose, and xylose). Methyl esterification of galacturonic acid also occurs [75]. Due to suitable technological (e.g., emulsifying activity and stability) and functional properties (e.g., prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, etc.…”

“…Olive pomace has been described as a rich source of pectins [75,78], with some properties similar to apple pectins, to be applied in the food and pharmaceutical industries [49][50][51]. Nonetheless, olive pomace pectin seems to have a higher degree of methyl-esterification, acetylation, and total neutral sugar content than apple pectin [75]. Extracts rich in phenolic compounds associated with pectins (called pectoliv extracts) have also been recently produced from two-phase olive pomace.…”

Pectin in Metabolic Liver Disease

“…Conversely, soluble fiber, such as pectin, gums, xyloglucans, inulin, maltodextrins, starch and polydextrose are highly fermentable by bacteria of the large intestine [ 19 ]. Soluble fiber is found in vegetables, whole grains, such as oats and barley, and fruits, in particular, the peels of apples and citrus, which are highly enriched in pectin ( Table 1 [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]).…”