Benefits of Pectin and Pectinase CAS#9032-75-1

Pectin Overview
Pectin is a natural polymer widely found in higher plants and serves as an essential component of the plant intercellular matrix. It is primarily deposited in the primary cell wall and middle lamella, where it cross-links with cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin microfibrils, and certain extensins in the cell wall. Through these interactions, pectin helps strengthen cellular structures, maintain intrinsic shapes, and act as a supportive material for internal plant tissues. The compound was first isolated and described by Henri Braccino in 1825.

What is Pectin?
In everyday applications, pectin is typically extracted from citrus peels and appears as a yellow or white powder. It possesses gelling, thickening, and emulsifying properties, making it a valuable natural food additive. Pectin is commonly used in the production of jams, jellies, yogurt, and ice cream, and also serves as a preservative for fruit products.

Medical Uses of Pectin
In the medical field, pectin increases stool bulk and viscosity, which makes it effective in treating constipation and diarrhea. Until 2002, it was one of the primary ingredients in kaolin-pectin formulations (Kaopectate) for managing diarrhea. Additionally, pectin can aid in the removal of certain heavy metals from biological systems and is also incorporated into throat lozenges to help relieve irritation and discomfort.

Source and Production of Pectin
Pectin is naturally abundant in fruits such as pears, apples, guavas, quinces, plums, gooseberries, and citrus fruits like oranges, while soft fruits including cherries, grapes, and strawberries contain relatively lower amounts.

The primary raw materials for industrial pectin production are dried citrus peels and apple pomace, both of which are by-products of fruit juice processing. In some cases, beet pomace is also used as a source.

Extraction is typically carried out by treating these raw materials with warm dilute acids at a pH range of 1.5–3.5. Over several hours of extraction, protopectin undergoes partial hydrolysis, losing some side chains and reducing chain length, thereby dissolving into the solution. Following filtration, the extract is concentrated under vacuum and then precipitated with ethanol or isopropanol. The older method of using aluminum salts for precipitation is now largely obsolete, as pectin can also precipitate in the presence of alcohol, multivalent cations, proteins, or detergents.

The alcohol-precipitated pectin is subsequently separated, washed, and dried. Treating crude pectin with dilute acid produces low-esterified pectin, whereas the inclusion of ammonium hydroxide (NH₃·aq) during processing yields amidated pectin. Finally, after drying and milling, pectin is often standardized with sugar—and occasionally with calcium salts or organic acids—to enhance its performance in specific applications.