Pectins are plant cell wall natural heteropolysaccharides composed mainly of α-1-4 d-galacturonic acid units, which may or may not be methyl esterified, possesses neutral sugars branching that harbor functional moieties. Physicochemical features as pH, temperature, ions concentration, and cosolute presence, affect directly the extraction yield and gelling capacity of pectins. The chemical and structural features of this polysaccharide enables its interaction with a wide range of molecules, a property that scientists profit from to form new composite matrices for target/controlled delivery of therapeutic molecules, genes or cells. Considered a prebiotic dietary fiber, pectins meetmany regulations easily, regarding health applications within the pharmaceutical industry as a raw material and as an agent for the prevention of cancer. Thus, this review lists many emergent pectin-based composite materials which will probably palliate the impact of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, aid to forestall actual epidemics, expand the ken of food additives and food products design.

Pectin and Pectin-Based Composite Materials: Beyond Food Texture

Extraction, structure, and emulsifying properties of pectin from potato pulp.

Background Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH) is the main by-product from the coca industry constituting 67–76% of the cocoa fruit weight. This waste represents an important, and challenging, economic, environmental renewable opportunity, since ten tons of wet CPH are generated for each ton of dry cocoa beans. Scope and approach This review highlights the value that can be added to this industrial co-product to generate new pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceuticals or functional food products. Key findings and conclusions The quality and functionality of cocoa pod husk (CPH) has being improving through processing (fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and combustion, among others), guiding to their use as source of volatile fragrance compounds, lipase extraction, skin whitening, skin hydration and sun screening, ruminants’ food, vegetable gum, organic potash, antibacterial and nanoparticles synthesis with antioxidant and larvicidal activities. However, their exploration to produce high-value-added products, specially for the food industry, is limited as well as their potential health benefits. Cocoa pod husk, the main by-product from cacao industry (up to 76%), is an abundant, inexpensive, and renewable source of bioactive compounds like dietary fiber, pectin, antioxidant compounds, minerals and theobromine, justifying their valorization. This review highlights the value addition that can be achieved with this valuable industrial co-product to generate new pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceuticals or functional food products.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) pod husk: Renewable source of bioactive compounds

The cacao pod husk (CPH) is the primary waste byproduct of the chocolate industry. One ton of cacao beans generate approximately ten times that amount of fresh CPH. The husk is rich in phenolic compounds. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of microwaves, hot air and freeze-drying on the phenolic compound content, antioxidant capacity, enzyme activity and microstructure of CPH. The results showed that fresh CPH contain 323.7 ± 26.5 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry mass (d.m.) of total phenolic compounds, and dehydration had a positive effect on the CPH phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Catechin, quercetin, and (−)-epicatechin and gallic, coumaric and protocatechuic acids were identified in fresh and dried CPH. Drying the material using a microwave and freeze-drying preserved the husk microstructure. The results showed that microwave drying was a better drying method than hot air and as good as freeze-drying. Industrial relevance The food industry is currently searching for new sources of natural antioxidants. The cacao pod husk (CPH) is a good source of phenolic compounds that can function as antioxidants and could be used as ingredients in functional foods. However, due to their high water content, fresh CPH are perishable products, and for this reason, the first step would be dry the pod husk to improve its shelf life. The findings of this study showed that the use of microwaves to dry CPH may release polyphenols, thereby enhancing the antioxidant capacity and decreasing the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity while maintaining the microstructure. Thus, microwave drying could be of interest as a method for enhancing the extractability of phenolic compounds from CPH.

Effects of microwaves, hot air and freeze-drying on the phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, enzyme activity and microstructure of cacao pod husks (Theobroma cacao L.)

Background Meat and meat products, in spite of having high biological value protein and essential nutrients required for human sustenance, are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation and also deficient in complex carbohydrates like dietary fibre (DF). This deficiency of DF is often associated with increased occurrence of some chronic diseases such as risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. Besides, development of oxidative changes in meat and meat products needs to be readdressed to prevent the quality deterioration during storage. Scope and Approach A wide range of plant-derived materials and their by-products are potentially rich sources of DFs and bioactive compounds (phytochemicals) with inherent antioxidant properties, commonly known as antioxidant dietary fibres (ADFs). ADF holds the promise to act as functional ingredient to ameliorate the deficiency in DF as well as oxidative changes in meat products, besides offering health benefits. So, fortification of meat and meat products with functional ingredients (ADFs) having dual properties, therefore, assumes significance. Key Findings and Conclusions This comprehensive review focuses on the present knowledge in the literature about the sources of ADFs and their potential application as functional ingredients to improve the physico-chemical characteristics, oxidative stability, sensory attributes and shelf life of meat and meat products. Considering the positive health effects of ADF, its incorporation in meat products opens up new possibilities for the industry to improve its ‘‘image” and opportunity to address consumer demands.

A comprehensive review on antioxidant dietary fibre enriched meat-based functional foods

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is the world's largest cocoa producer with about 1.2-1.6 million tons per year. This co-generates approximately ten times of fresh cacao pod husks, which are hitherto left unutilized to decompose in plantations. This study aims at evaluating the cacao pod husks potential for antioxidant-dietary fiber compounds. Cacao pod husk product was used for the extraction of dietary fiber and phenolic compounds. The results showed that the cacao pod husk product contained ∼ 60.0% of total dietary fiber, of which non-starchy polysaccharides accounted for > 70.0%, and a total phenolic content of ∼69.0 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g, thereby indicating that it was an antioxidant dietary fiber-rich product. It also exhibited interesting antioxidant properties, as judged by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (85.0% inhibition percentage and EC50 = 25.0 g/g), 2,2'-Azinobis-(3- ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (52.0 µmol Trolox equivalent/g), and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (130.0 µmol Trolox equivalent/g) assays. The total antioxidant capacity of the cacao pod husk product was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the total antioxidant capacity of fermented-and-roasted cocoa hull and kernel products. The total antioxidant capacity seemed to result from synergistic interactions among various compounds endowed with antioxidant capacity, including soluble phenolics, condensed tannins, and possibly pectic substances. Cacao pod husks therefore appeared to be a valuable source of antioxidant dietary fiber-rich food materials which may be used to significantly reduce the risk of development of miscellaneous free radical-induced diseases.

/pdf/adding-value-to-cacao-pod-husks-as-a-potential-antioxidant-2eryjufkk3.pdf

Adding Value to Cacao Pod Husks as a Potential Antioxidant-Dietary Fiber Source

In the framework of searching for new pectin sources to partially compensate for domestic and regional demands, the peel (albedo) of the “non-comestible” fruit of Poncirus trifoliata was investigated using a relatively simple experimental design for optimization, in which only the variable was the extraction pH (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) on the basis of our previous studies on diverse pectin sources. The results showed that the yield of pectin (7.4%-19.8%) was strongly influenced by the extraction pH when the other parameters, namely the solid to liquid extractant (S/L) ratio, temperature (T &degC), and time (t) were fixed to 1:25 (w/v), 75&degC, and 90 min, respectively. Likewise, the galacturonic acid content (GalA: 61.4%-79.2%), total neutral sugar content (TNS: 9.1%-22.5%), degree of branching (3.5%-13.9%), homogalacturonan (HG) to rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) ratio (2.2-5.6), degree of methylesterification (DM: 54-77), viscosity average molecular weight (Mν: 57-82), and gelling capacity (GC: 124-158) were all affected by the extraction pH. The optimum pH for producing pectin with good yield, quality characteristics (GalA > 65%, DM > 60, Mν > 80 kDa), and gelling capacity (GC > 150), from the peel of P. trifoliata fruit, was found to be pH 1.5.

/pdf/extraction-and-characterization-of-gelling-pectin-from-the-2m38g0fy1e.pdf

Extraction and characterization of gelling pectin from the peel of Poncirus trifoliata fruit

The hot water extract of dry kinkeliba leaves (DKL) is a traditionally widely delighted and consumed beverage in West Africa, especially during the fasting periods. It is believed to possess various health benefit effects such as diuretic, purgative, digestive, anti-viral and anti-malarial properties. However, the preparation of this beverage has not been optimized so far, which may underestimate its health benefit potential. In this study, the traditional preparation of the beverage, by decoction, was optimized in order to maximize the amounts of health benefit polyphenolic and other antioxidant compounds. The results showed that an optimal preparation with maximum solubilization of polyphenols required the brewing of approximately 20-25 g of DKL in boiling water for about 15-20 min. These conditions afforded an optimized extract (OEDKL) with a total phenolic content of 215.0 mg GAE/g and arabinogalactan-rich pectic polysaccharide content of 553.0 mg/g. Moreover, the OEDKL exhibited a high antioxidant capacity, as evaluated by DPPH [93.0% IP and EC50 = 15.0 (g/g)], ABTS (112.0 μmol TE/ g), or FRAP (376.0 μmol TE/g) assay, which was correlated with the total phenolic content (R 2 = 0.897-0.991). Nevertheless, the pectic material detected within the beverage was likely to contribute to its interesting antioxidant properties. Therefore, it was suggested that the total antioxidant capacity of the OEDKL could result from synergistic interactions among the various antioxidant compounds present, including polyphenols and fractionated pectic materials.

Optimization of water-extract of phenolic and antioxidant compounds from Kinkéliba (Combretum micranthum) leaves

The study on the yield and some structural and rheological properties of acid-extracted pectins from cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) apple pomace (AOP) showed that about 25% of pectins could be produced under optimized acid conditions. AOP was mainly composed of galacturonic acid (84.5%) with some neutral sugars of which rhamnose (1.9%), arabinose (3.8%), and galactose (5.5%) were the main constituents. The degree of methylation (DM) of AOP was 41%, indicating extraction of low methoxy pectin (LMP). The intrinsic viscosity and average-molecular weight of AOP were 398 mL/g and 142 kDa, respectively. AOP exhibited a calcium-mediated gelling strength of 128 which appeared to be higher than that (104) of commercial citrus pectin with similar DM. AOP yielded firmer Ca 2+ -mediated LMP gels, thereby showing a high power of gelation. Viscoelastic analyses also substantiated good gelling behaviour of the produced AOP. Therefore, cashew apple pomace, which is an industrial cell wall residue from the production of cashew nut, appears to be a potentially viable source of production of marketable LMP without the need for enzymatic and/or chemical demethylation.

Macromolecular and Viscoelastic Properties of Low Methoxy Pectin from Cashew Apple Pomace

The structural and viscoelastic characteristics of pectins (CAP) extracted from cinnamon apple pomace, under different acid conditions, were investigated. The yield of pectins ranged from 2.8 to 10.9% and was significantly ( P <0.05) affected by the solvent strength. The optimum yield (11.0%) was recorded at pH 1.2 as the other extraction parameters, viz. temperature, time, and solid to liquid ratio were kept constant to 75 °C, 90 min, and 1:25 (w/v), respectively. The main monosaccharide constituents of CAP were galacturonic acid, arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose; thus suggesting that the pectic polymers were built of linear homogalacturonan and non-linear rhamnogalacturonan block copolymers branched with arabinose- and/or galactose-containing side chains. Enzymatic degradation of CAP indicated that the neutral sugar side chains were mainly galactoarabinans with some arabinogalactans. However, the b-Galactosyl Yariv assay, specific to 1,3-b-galactan, was found to be negative, indicating that detected arabinogalactans might “exclusively” be of type I. The degree of methylesterification was in the range of 43-68%, showing extraction of both low (HMP) and high methoxy (LMP) pectins. The trends of sugar-acid-mediated gelation of the purified CAP were significantly different from one another ( P <0.05), as judged by the conventional SAG method (gel strength) and by small amplitude oscillatory shear tests (viscoelastic properties). Depending on the extraction conditions, potentially good LMP and HMP can be produced from cinnamon apple pomace.

/pdf/cinnamon-apple-pectins-structural-and-rheological-properties-4tsys35sfx.pdf

Veronique Besson

Papers

Adding Value to Cacao Pod Husks as a Potential Antioxidant-Dietary Fiber Source

Extraction and characterization of gelling pectin from the peel of Poncirus trifoliata fruit

Optimization of water-extract of phenolic and antioxidant compounds from Kinkéliba (Combretum micranthum) leaves

Macromolecular and Viscoelastic Properties of Low Methoxy Pectin from Cashew Apple Pomace

Cinnamon Apple Pectins: Structural and Rheological Properties