Extraction and Characterization of Pectin from Snot Apple (Azanza garckeana) Fruits with Potential Use in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Azanza garckeana (snot apple) is an underutilized indigenous fruit of southern Africa. The study was aimed at determining the functional characteristics and potential use of extracted pectin from A. garckeana (snot apple) fruits from Zimbabwe. A. garckeana (snot apple) fruits were collected from a semiarid communal area of Nhema, Zimbabwe. Pectin properties were determined using standard methods. Fruit jam was formulated with 53% (w/v) U. kirkiana fruit pulp, 45% (w/v) sugar, 1.5% (w/v) A. garckeana pectin, 0.5% (w/v) citric acid. The optimum extraction conditions were 90°C for 90 minutes at pH 3. Pectin yield was 9.21 ± 0.1% to 18.1 ± 0.1% and 10.1 ± 0.1 to 20.2 ± 0.2% for dried and fresh A. garckeana fruits respectively. Physicochemical properties of the pectin were (% w/w) degree of esterification (DE) 72.1-80.3, methoxyl content 6.1-6.8, anhydrouronic acid (AUA) content 60.3-67.6, moisture content 3.1-2.2, ash content 0.9-0.7 for dried and fresh fruits. Equivalent weight range was 816.7-848.2 mg/mol. Jam had total soluble solids (68.2 ± 0.1%), total titratable acid (2.1 ± 0.2 g/L), moisture content (32.6 ± 1.3%) and pH (3.4 ± 0.1). Jam's overall acceptance score was 6. There was no significant difference in aroma, spreadability, taste, and texture of both jams at P < 0 .05. Pectin extracted from A. garckeana (snot apple) fruits has good functionality properties with potential for applications in food processing, especially in jam production.

A Novel Strategy for Mixed Jam Evaluation: Apparent Indicator, Sensory, Metabolomic, and GC-IMS Analysis

“…When the content increased, the pH value decreased significantly and the total acidity of the jam increased, indicating that Morus nigra L. provides a large amount of H + for the jam system. Low pH reduces the negative charge of pectin molecules and then promotes hydrogen bonding of pectin molecules leading to precipitation [29]. The addition of sucrose as a component in jam-making at low pH favors the gel formation of high-methoxy pectin [29,30].…”

“…Low pH reduces the negative charge of pectin molecules and then promotes hydrogen bonding of pectin molecules leading to precipitation [29]. The addition of sucrose as a component in jam-making at low pH favors the gel formation of high-methoxy pectin [29,30]. However, the pH of jam should not be too low, as this can lead to the deterioration of organoleptic qualities such as glucose crystallization, granular texture, excessively acidic flavor, and oozing.…”

Application of combined Box–Behnken design with response surface methodology and desirability function in optimizing pectin extraction from fruit peels

“…Its density varies due to its methoxyl content. 20 Due to increasing market demand, sources of pectin such as oranges, 21 bananas, 22 prickly pear, 23 snot apple, 24 sunflower head, 25 citrus sinensis, 26 pomegranate, 27 lemon, 28 and araca, 29 have been studied over the years. Pectins are extracted from lemon, orange peels, and apple pomace with conventional heating techniques (60-100 °C).…”

Screening and Estimation of Bioactive Compounds of Azanza garckeana (Jakjak) Fruit Using GC-MS, UV–Visible Spectroscopy, and HPLC Analysis

“…According to Branch, 1983 [2], the indigenous fruit-bearing tree species are rich in sugars, essential vitamins, and minerals. In context, a recent study showed that fruit could be used as a new source of pectin [14]. Multiple classes of phytochemical compounds such as ascorbic acid, amino acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, glucosides, phenols, lipids, and tannins have been isolated from A. garckeana [12].…”