Effect of Process Parameters on Extraction of Pectin from Sweet Lime Peels

Abstract

Pectin is a heterogeneous polysaccharide found in the cell wall, middle lamellae of many fruits and vegetables, and is widely used as gelling agent, emulsifier and stabilizer in food industry. In keeping the importance of pectin in the food industry, ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectin from sweet lime peel was investigated. The individual and interactive effect of solid-solvent ratio, ultrasound power intensity and sonication time on the pectin yield, equivalent weight and methoxyl content were studied and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The maximum pectin yield (36.4 g/100 g), equivalent weight (740.3 mg) and methoxyl content (7.1%) was obtained under optimal condition (solid-solvent ratio of 1:24.3 g/ml, ultrasound power intensity of 80 W/cm2 and sonication time of 18.4 min). Significant (p < 0.05) effect of process parameters was found in all responses of pectin extracted from sweet lime peel. It was also revealed from the present study that ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectin from sweet lime peel is an efficient approach toward waste valorization and extraction of pectin with high yield and good quality attributes.