Clarification of citrus juice is influenced by specific activity of thermolabile pectinmethylesterase and inactive PME-pectin complexes

Thermolabile pectinmethylesterase (PME) from Valencia orange pulp was extracted, partially purified by cation exchange chromatography (IEX), and added to reconstituted orange juice at 2 units/ml. Of the juices that clarified, %T increased, cloud particle size increased and % degree of esterification (DE) decreased in the 15 d storage study. The rate of clarification was most rapid for juices with added PME extracts that never bound Hi-T rap SP and contained 36 and 27 kDa peptide, intermediate for crude extracts of PME not applied to IEX, and lowest for PME extracts that bound Hi-Trap SP and contained 36 and 13 kDa peptide. These results suggest that PME-pectin complexes and low peptides moderate PME activity and juice clarification.