Microwave-assisted Extraction of Pectin from Dalanghita (Citrus reticulata Blanco ) Peels
Abstract
Pectin is one of the important high value-added products today due to its wide applications as a functional ingredient in food science, cosmetics, and pharmacy. Because of the rising demand, pectin research has become increasingly relevant. Commercial pectins are mainly obtained from citrus peels. Unlike oranges, pectin extraction from dalanghita is not well established. In this study, microwave-assisted extraction was employed for the isolation of pectin from dalanghita (Citrus reticulata Blanco) peels. Using a Box-Behnken response surface methodology design, the effects of three process parameters (pH, irradiation time, and solid/liquid ratio) on the % yield of pectin were observed. The optimum conditions for a maximum pectin yield of 35.43% were pH=1.5, irradiation time=120s, and S/L ratio=30. The extracted pectin was pale yellowish (wet) to brownish (dry) in color, with a 31.75% actual yield, 4.94% methoxyl content, 171.67% anhydrouronic acid (AUA) content, and a 16.37% degree of esterification (DE). Given this data, it was concluded that dalanghita peels are a viable source of pure, low-ester, food-grade pectin that can be used for low-sugar applications. The microwave-assisted process is also a fast and accessible way of extracting pure pectin.
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