Extraction and Characterization of Gelling and Emulsifying Pectin Fractions from Cacao Pod Husk

With an annual production around 1.6 million tons, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is still today the world’s largest producer of cocoa beans. This co-generates about 16 million tons of cacao pod husks which are usually left unutilized in plantations to rot, thereby becoming a significant source of disease inoculums. As a way of solving the environmental problem posed by this agrowaste and adding value to it, the pectic substances of cacao pod husk were investigated under different extraction conditions (pH 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0). The results obtained, with respect to yield, chemical, and macromolecular characteristics, showed that 3.7-8.6% cacao pod husk pectin (CPHP), with 50.974.8% galacturonic acid (GalA) content; 36.7-52.4% methylation degree (DM); 3.2-9.8% acetylation degree (DAc); 162-304 mL/g intrinsic viscosity [η], and 43-82 kDa viscosity-average molecular weight ( v M ), could be produced. Functional properties assays revealed that CPHP is a moderately efficacious gelling agent in sugar-acid-gels with 65-75% sucrose content. By contrast, CPHP appeared to be as effective as sugar-beet pulp pectin (SBPP) when assayed for the first time as an oil-in-water emulsifier and emulsion-stabilizer without the need for depolymerization. Cacao pod husk therefore stands as a new source of possible production of non-structurally modified pectin-derived