The Effect of Different Extraction Conditions on the Physical Properties, Conformation and Branching of Pectins Extracted from Cucumis melo Inodorus

Abstract

The extraction of pectin involves the physico-chemical hydrolysis and solubilisation of pectic polymers from plant tissues under the influence of several processing parameters. In this study, an experimental design approach was used to examine the effects of extraction pH, time and temperature on the pectins extracted from Cucumis melo Inodorus. Knowledge of physical properties (intrinsic viscosity and molar mass), dilute solution conformation (persistence length and mass per unit length), together with chemical composition, was then used to propose a new method, which can estimate the length and number of branches on the pectin RG-I region. The results show that physical properties, conformation and the length and number of branches are sensitive to extraction conditions. The fitting of regression equations relating length and number of branches on the pectin RG-I region to extraction conditions can, therefore, lead to tailor-made pectins with specific properties for specific applications.

The Effect of Different Extraction Conditions on the Physicochemical Properties of Novel High Methoxyl Pectin-like Polysaccharides from Green Bell Pepper (GBP)

“…This can be achieved by choosing other conditions, for example, a wider range or temperatures or pH levels or it is also possible to study different cultivars [10], ripeness [11], or by comparison with peppers of different colours [9,10]. In addition, SEC-MALLS or sedimentation techniques would be very useful to measure the absolute molecular weight of the polysaccharides, as this will enable the estimation of conformational information and the number and length of side chains [81], as functional properties are related to polysaccharide structure/composition, physical properties (molecular weight), and conformation/shape in a solution [82].…”

“…DPPH: 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. Although it might appear that, at first, there are only limited differences between the samples depending on their extraction conditions, which could be considered as a drawback in the application of GBP polysaccharides, it does also present the probability that polysaccharides extracted from GBP are unlikely to be greatly affected by unintended Although it might appear that, at first, there are only limited differences between the samples depending on their extraction conditions, which could be considered as a drawback in the application of GBP polysaccharides, it does also present the probability that polysaccharides extracted from GBP are unlikely to be greatly affected by unintended changes in the processing conditions during isolation, unlike pectins from citrus [12,13], honeydew melon [25,81], or sugar beet [32], for example.…”