ISOLATION, MODIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF PECTIN EXTRACTED FROM SELECTED PLANTS PARTS

Abstract

Pectin is a complex polysaccharide that makes up about one third of the cell wall of higher plants. Pectin was extracted from three naturalized pods namely: Cola milleni, Irvingia gabonensis andTheobroma cacao using acid extraction and alcohol precipitation method. The effects of temperature and time on the yield and physicochemical characterization of the extracted pectins were evaluated. The results showed that optimum conditions for extraction of pectins were found to be 100oC temperature and 150 min time of extraction respectively. The yield of pectin under these optimum conditions was found to be 09.37%, 18.19% and 10.56% for C. milleni, I. gabonensis and T. Cacao pods. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in yield and the physicochemical properties of the pectin samples. The monosaccharide composition of the three pectins shows that the pectins composed of Galacturonic acid and a lower percentage of neutral sugars. Phytochemical contents of the pectindecreases as follows; wild mango (93.40%)> cocoa (91.29%) >cola (74.50%). The proximate analysis of the pectin samples were investigated and were found to contain moderate levels of nutritional values. The percentage mineral compositions of the three pectin samples shows that they were high in Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium and some other micro-nutrients element. The extracted pectins were successfully modified with chloroacetic acid, para amino benzoic acid and para nitro benzoic acid. The modification of the pectin samples significantly affects the pectins positively in terms of viscosity, swelling index, average molecular weight degree of esterification and microbial potentials. The zone of inhibition of the modified sample gave higher values of inhibition of organisms which compete with the control; this shows that the pectin samples have requisites microbial quality and potential to be developed as antimicrobial agents for extended release natural products.The FTIR spectral of thepectin samples were determined using FTIR Spectrophotometer in the range of 400-4000 cm-1.Major functional groups in the pectins showed peaks in the region between 1000-2000 cm-1.The bands were observed between 3500-3000 indicating OH stretching, 1627-1651cm-1 and 1739-1793cm-1 indicating the presence of the carbonyl group stretching.The surface morphology of the unmodified pectins shows irregular amorphous shapes, non-smooth surfaces and unequal sizes while the modified pectins shows a more heterogeneous micro-structures, large surface areas and more of equal sizes, the modification also reveals the presence of more silica nodles in the pectins. The thermal stability of the powder pectins samples were found to be stable to about 600oC. Thermo gravimetric analysis of the pectin samples shows multi-steps of thermal decomposition.The binding potentials of the unmodified and modified pectin samples in pharmaceutical dosage were studied using a standard procedure. Its effect as binders in the formulation of paracetamol tablets gave a better and faster tablet properties when compared with the unmodified tablet based.The study has established the great potential of the pectin samples as good raw materials for industrial applications