Articles
Pectic polysaccharide from Opuntia ficus-indica: microwave extraction and comparison of cladode components
Article number
1466_23
Pages
185 – 194
Language
English
Abstract
Pectic polysaccharides (PP) have attracted attention for their desirable properties (prebiotic, gelling, stabilizing) in the food and pharmaceutical industries, especially in synbiotic formulations to enhance gut health. Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) (prickly pear cactus) is a drought-tolerant crop that is a sustainable, valuable source of PP. Efficient extraction of PP from Opuntia ficus-indica is essential to unlocking its potential for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
The quality of PP is mainly impacted by the extraction method and source material.
The present study evaluated the effect of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) using citric acid-acidified water (pH 2) (360, 450, 900 W; 60 s) of PP from OFI cladode parts (peel, mucilage, and fibre) on the yield, yellowness, solubility, moisture content, water holding capacity, and degree of esterification.
Results showed that microwave power and OFI-cladode parts significantly affected the yield and quality of PP. Moisture content and the DE decreased with increasing microwave power, with fibre and mucilage exhibiting the lowest moisture content and highest DE, respectively.
Conversely, production yield increased with higher microwave power, with mucilage achieving the highest yield across all power levels.
Yellowness decreased as power increased from 360 to 450 W, before slightly increasing at 900 W, with mucilage maintaining the highest yellowness.
Solubility and water holding capacity increased between 360 and 450 W, followed by a slight decrease at 900 W. These results demonstrate that microwave pretreatment of mucilage at low-to-moderate power levels (360-450 W) can produce pectin polysaccharides with desirable quality and quantity for synbiotic product formulation.
The quality of PP is mainly impacted by the extraction method and source material.
The present study evaluated the effect of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) using citric acid-acidified water (pH 2) (360, 450, 900 W; 60 s) of PP from OFI cladode parts (peel, mucilage, and fibre) on the yield, yellowness, solubility, moisture content, water holding capacity, and degree of esterification.
Results showed that microwave power and OFI-cladode parts significantly affected the yield and quality of PP. Moisture content and the DE decreased with increasing microwave power, with fibre and mucilage exhibiting the lowest moisture content and highest DE, respectively.
Conversely, production yield increased with higher microwave power, with mucilage achieving the highest yield across all power levels.
Yellowness decreased as power increased from 360 to 450 W, before slightly increasing at 900 W, with mucilage maintaining the highest yellowness.
Solubility and water holding capacity increased between 360 and 450 W, followed by a slight decrease at 900 W. These results demonstrate that microwave pretreatment of mucilage at low-to-moderate power levels (360-450 W) can produce pectin polysaccharides with desirable quality and quantity for synbiotic product formulation.
Publication
Authors
P.L. Mukwevho, T. Kaseke, T.M. Pfukwa, F. Seke, O.A. Fawole
Keywords
microwave-assisted extraction, pectic polysaccharide, Opuntia ficus-indica, degree of esterification
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