Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIII
Written by Agnes TOMA, Oana CRĂCIUNESCU, Rodica TATIA
Carrot juice is a product of interest in food industry. Pomace, a by-product of the carrot juice industry, contains a significant amount of pectin. This natural polymer is rich in galacturonic acid and is used as food additive due to its gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties. The objective of this study was to compare different extraction methods of carrot pectin. Sodium citrate buffer, pH 5.0 and carrot pulp were used for pectin extraction. Methods used to obtain pectin required temperature, microwaves, ultrasounds and Celluclast 1.5L enzyme treatment. The extraction yield of each method was determined. The obtained pectin was characterized by the content of galacturonic acid, the degree of esterification, the degree of emulsification and cytotoxicity in a fibroblast cell line. The enzymatically extracted carrot pectin contained at least 65% galacturonic acid and had a high degree of esterification and emulsification. In vitro cytotoxicity tests have demonstrated the biocompatibility of pectin extracts. The results of this study have showed that valuable carrot pectin with high content of galacturonic acid and good biocompatibility can be obtained from carrot pomace. The enzymatic extraction method could be further studied for various industrial applications, and the obtained carrot pectin could be useful especially in food supplements.
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