Melon pectins

What is it about?

A statistical experimental design approach was used to study the effects of extraction conditions pH,time and temperature on pectins extracted from Cucumis melo Inodorus.The results show that the chemical composition is very sensitive to these conditions and that this has a great influence on for example the degree of branching. Higher temperatures, lower pHs and longer extraction times lead to a loss of the more acid labile arabinofuranose residues present on the pectinside chain.

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Why is it important?

tExtracted pectins have been utilised in a number of applications in both the food and pharmaceutical industries where they are generally used as gelling agents, thickeners and stabilisers, although a numberof pectins have been shown to be bioactive. These functional properties will depend upon extraction conditions.