Pectin-Protein Composite Matrices

Complex polysaccharide/protein are very common in nature and are key ingredients in food systems stability [15, 29]. The combination of both offers a wide variety of novel applications, mostly as controlled delivery systems of active ingredients, used in various industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics [47, 80], Furthermore, there is great interest in the use of these systems because of the synergy that occurs when combining the two molecules, and generating new properties as stabilizers of emulsions and foams [9, 33, 87], showing better interfacial properties of hydration and absorption [107]. 

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The plant cell wall is a composite of cellulose (the main fibre) plus shorter lengths (hemicellulose) that help bind the fibre, plus pectin (the main matrix adhesive) and some proteins. There are fruits that have a soft melting texture when ripe (e.g., avocado and blackberry) in which the cell wall swells noticeably. This swelling is related to the degree of solubilisation of the pectin (Redgwell et al. 1997) which can be removed in vitro using enzymes or other chemicals. 

The ability of pectins to interact with other biomolecules confers great versatility as components of various composites for the design of matrix carriers of bioactive biomaterials. This is due to the diversity of functional groups present along their backbone and their polyanionic properties. These features allow one to control to some extent the t es of possible interactions and composites to create new materials based on pectin and other biomolecules, such as proteins and lipids. The various composite structures offer new properties, which enables a variety of applications in the fields of food and pharmaceuticals, especially for the new trends in controlled release of drugs and bioactive molecules. 

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