ARS | Publication request: Polysaccharides isolated from sugar beet pulp by quaternization under acidic conditions

Submitted to: Carbohydrate Polymers
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 27, 2010
Publication Date: May 27, 2010
Citation: Simkovic, I., Strahan, G.D., Yadav, M.P., Mendichi, R. 2010. Polysaccharides isolated from sugar beet pulp by quaternization under acidic conditions. Carbohydrate Polymers, 82:815-821.

Interpretive Summary: The amount of the agricultural by-product, sugar beet pulp, obtained from sugar beet processing facilities is enormous and it is sold as a low value animal feed. The need to add value to this agricultural residue prompted us to modify it by adding chemical groups. Its chemical modification and isolation under acidic conditions gave a high yield of a functional product. The structure of the modified product was determined by chemical and spectroscopic analysis. This product has a great potential for making paper additives and components of composite materials. These results will help to develop a new valuable product and market for low value agricultural by-product benefitting sugar beet growers and processors and manufacturers of agricultural materials.

Technical Abstract: Sugar beet pulp was extracted and chemically modified under acidic conditions using glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride in the presence of trifuoroacetic (TFA), HCl or H3PO4. The goal was to find out how the type of acid used and quaternization could affect the yield of soluble polysaccharide, its molar mass and monosaccharide composition. In absence of quaternizing agent the yields were lower, but higher under vacuum than at ambient pressure. The use of HCl and H3PO4 gave smaller yields when quaternized than in presence of TFA. Extraction in the presence of TFA under vacuum resulted in the biggest molar mass, while the smallest value was observed when quaternized with TFA under vacuum. The monosaccharide composition analysis confirmed that the use of TFA for quaternization results in fractions with higher arabinose content than the use of HCl or H3PO4.