Potentialities of citric species as sources of bioactive pectins associated to cocoa agroecosystems.

Abstract

The contents of methoxyl and anhydrous galacturonic acid in pectin from Citrus maxima L. and Citrus limon L. were studied, as well as the influence of the extraction procedure on the values of both pectin quality parameters and the yields. Two extraction procedures based on the hydrolysis of the plant material were used, the first at pH=2 and subsequent evaporation and, the second, at pH=3 and precipitation with ethyl alcohol. Pectin extracted at a lower pH, showed the higher yields but the lower contents of methoxyl and anhydrous galacturonic acid, while at a higher pH decreased the pectin yields and the contents of methoxyl and anhydrous galacturonic acid were increased. Both procedures yielded pectin which can be classified as high methoxyl and high purity pectin, being, thus, promissory raw material to developing bioactive substances.