Enzymic extraction of pectin preparations from pumpkin

Pectin samples have been extracted from pumpkin raw material with 0.1 hi HCl and with three enzymic preparations (cellulase from Trichoderma,ma viride, hemicellulase from Aspergillus niger and the glycosidase complex produced by Xanthomonas campestris). The yield of pectin preparations, their monosaccharide composition, degree of acetylation, molecular weight and viscosity were determined. Enzymic methods of extraction gave much bigger yields of pectic substances. Compared to the commercial citrus pectin, all the samples derived from pumpkin raw material had a significantly lower uronide content and a higher content of neutral sugars, notably glucose and galactose. This study proposes that pumpkin pectin molecules may contain a large number of branched regions formed from neutral sugars. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.