A Study on Plant Polymer: Pectin Production and Modification (RESEARCH NOTE)

Abstract Pectin from two different plant sources: apple and sugar beet was studied. Apple pectinwas modified by chemical treatments such as: acid, alkali and ammonia, so as to obtain an ester levelequal to or less than 50 %, which is described as low methoxyl (LM) pectin. LM pectin form gelswith significant characteristic. In this study, de-esterification of apple pectin with acid treatmentresulted in gel specification with higher molecular weight and viscosity. Acid treatment resulted inpectin with average molecular weight of 32000 Dalton. Pectin was extracted from sugar beet pulp byacid and alkali treatments. The quality of gel formation and water uptake was improved using sugarsource (glucose), CaCl2 and peroxidase enzymes. The optimal levels of materials in formation of gelwith high water absorption capacity were: Glucose 5 %, Pectin 15 %, CaCl2 80mg/g, and enzyme unit170 U/g pectin. The level of ingredients responsible for gel hardness was related to sugar content(glucose) of 15 %.