ARS | Publication request: FLASH EXTRACTION OF PECTIN

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 31, 2004
Publication Date: January 12, 2005
Citation: Hotchkiss, A.T., Widmer, W.W., Fishman, M.L. Flash extraction of pectin. Abstract for American Chemical Society 229th National Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 13-19, 2005. Cell 96.

Technical Abstract: Traditional acid extraction, lasting several hours, can degrade pectin quality. We have developed several rapid extraction methods where the exposure of the plant material to hot acid or base lasts three minutes or less. These methods include a bench-scale process for pectin extraction using microwave energy, a preparative-scale batch process utilizing injected steam and a continuous pilot plant-scale process. Flash extraction of pectin from orange and lime peel using microwave energy and injected steam produced comparable or higher quality pectin than is currently commercially available. The molecular properties (weight-average molar mass, z-average radius of gyration and weight-average intrinsic viscosity) and gel strength of flash extracted pectin were superior to commercial pectin yet the flash extraction yield was lower. As the heating time during flash extraction increased, pectin quality decreased. We have also recovered an oligosaccharide fraction with prebiotic activity from the flash extraction of pectin on the bench- to continuous pilot plant-scale. Due to the shorter heating times, premium pectin quality, and the valuable oligosaccharide co-products, the flash extraction process is potentially more cost effective than current commercial practices.