Agricultural Pectin Extraction in Iranian Experimental Settings

Abstract

Pectins are belonged to one important group of polysaccharides extracted from the plant cell walls. Commercial pectins are widely used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries, mainly as texturizing, emulsifying, stabilizing, and gelling agents. Due to rich contents of partially esterified galacturonic acid (GalA) found in agri-food waste, the valorization of recovery process needs to be further developed with economic and environmental benefits. Accordingly, in order to maximize the utilization of these residues, some researchers attempted to extract multiple valuable products from plant waste like pectin from mango peel or simultaneously extracted pectin and polyphenols from pomegranate peels, because the simultaneous extraction seems more efficient due to decreased process time and cost. The characteristics and applications of pectins are strongly influenced by their structures depending on plant species, tissues, and extraction methods. This review aims to review the optimal extraction conditions using new promising methods in order to obtain pectin from Iran’s Agro waste and assess physicochemical parameters in recent Iranian experimental study designs, including microwave heating processes and ultrasonic treatment.