This
study presents a method for modifying pectin with phenolic
acids catalyzed by lipase in a two-phase system of water/tetrahydrofuran.
Salicylic acid (SA) and its isomers, including m-hydroxybenzoic
acid (MHBA) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), were
grafted onto pectin, and the products were characterized via UV–vis,
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 1H
NMR analyses to explore the reaction process and mechanism between
pectin and the three phenolic acids. Results indicated that lipase
played a dual role in the reaction, namely, catalyzing the hydrolysis
of the methyl group in the aqueous phase and esterifying the carboxyl
group of pectin with the phenolic hydroxyl group of the phenolic acids
in tetrahydrofuran. The grafting ratio of SA-modified pectin, MHBA-modified
pectin, and PHBA-modified pectin was 1.89, 10.58, and 20.32%, respectively,
and it was affected by the position of phenolic hydroxyl. Moreover,
the effects of phenolic acids on the emulsifying properties, antioxidant
activities, and antibacterial activities of the native and modified
pectins were evaluated. In several aspects, the emulsifying properties
of the modified pectins were better than those of native pectin. Moreover,
the grafting of phenolic acids only slightly affected the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl
hydrazine (DPPH) clearance of the modified pectins but substantially
improved their inhibition ratio in a β-carotene bleaching assay.
Furthermore, the modified pectins exhibited better bacteriostatic
activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than native
pectin.