Citrus pectic polysaccharides

Fractionation and Chemistry of Citrus Pectic Polysaccharides. Pectic polysaccharides, commonly known as pectin, appear early in plant cell-wall formation. A series of complex biochemical steps results in the formation of cell plates followed first by its growth in area (primary cell wall) then in thickness (secondary cell wa.ll). Exclusive of randomly oriented cellulose fibrils, primary cell wall is composed mainly of pectic polysaccharides (34). These pectic polysaccharides are rich in D-galacturonic acid, D-galactose and L-arabinose residues. With growth in thickness of cell wall (secondary cell wall),there appears to be a replacement of pectic polysaccharide deposition with polysaccharides rich in D-glucuronic acid or 4-0-methyl-D-glucuronic acid,... 

Biochemical Basis of Observed Interaction Between Pectin and Lipoprotein. These studies await further research. A prerequisite to these studies is the establishment of the chemistry and structure of various polysaccharides found in citrus pectin. As described above, these studies are in progress and will eventually lead to the isolation of several pure citrus pectic polysaccharides of defined chemistry. 

Citrus Pectic Polysaccharides—Their in Vitro Interaction with Low Density Serum Lipoproteins... 

To date, the structural features of pectic polysaccharides and plant cell walls have been studied extensively using chemical analysis and enzymatic degradation. In addition, research on isolation and physicochemical characterisation of pectin from citrus peels, apple peels, sunflower head residues and sugar beet pulp has been reported (2). However, the pectic polysaccharides extracted from wheat straw have only previously been reported by Przeszlakowska (3). The author extracted 0.44% pectic substances from Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. 

Figure 1. FT-IR spectra of citrus pectin (a) and wheat straw xylose-rich pectic polysaccharide (b).

Pectin is a long chain of pectic acid and pectinic acid molecules. Because these acids are sugars, pectin is categorized as a polysaccharide. It is prepared from citrus peels and the remains of apples after they are squeezed for juice. In the plant, pectin is the material that joins the plant cells together. When fungus enzymes break down the pectin in fruit, the fruit gets soft and mushy. 

The FTIR spectra of citrus pectin and wheat straw XRPP (Figure 1) appeared to be similar. Both of the spectra have absorptions at 1740, 1608, 1430, 1360, 1244, 1080, 1060, 1035, 890 and 524 cm. The pectic substances belong to a class of carboxy poly saccharides which differ from neutral polysaccharides, with an intense band in the region 1740 cm l (for salts 1608 cm ) related to vibrations of the carboxyl group... 

Pectin or pectic substances are complex polysaccharides universally present in the cell walls of plants, especially in the spaces between cell walls (middle lamellae) where they act as hinders to hold adjacent cell walls together. The peel (especially alhedo, the white portion) of citrus fruits (especially... 

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