Effect of enzymatic de-esterification and RG-I degradation of high methoxyl pectin (HMP) on sugar-acid gel properties.

The influence of RG-I domains on high methoxyl pectin (HMP) sugar-acid gel properties has rarely been reported. In our work, HMP was modified by enzymatic de-esterification and degradation of RG-I domains to compare and analyze the relationship between the structure and final sugar-acid gel properties. The results showed that the degree of esterification (DE) of REP (pectin degraded by rhamnosidase) and GEP (pectin debranched by galactosidase) was the same as that of untreated HMP, whereas the DE of PMEP (pectin de-esterified by pectin methyl esterase) decreased from 59.63 % to 54.69 %. The monosaccharide composition suggested no significant changes in the HG and RG-I structural domains of PMEP. In contrast, the percentage of RG-I structural domains of REP and GEP dropped from 37 % to about 28 %, accompanied by a reduction in the proportion of the RG-I backbones and side chains. The rheological characterization of sugar-acid gels demonstrated an enhanced gel grade for PMEP and a weakened one for REP and GEP. Moreover, we constructed a correlation relationship between the fine structure of pectin and the properties of the sugar-acid gels, confirming the critical contribution of the RG-I region (especially the neutral sugar side chains) to the HMP sugar-acid gels.

Pectin gels based on H+/(NH4)2SO4 and its potential in sustained release of NH4.

A gelling strategy for HP was proposed in this study, ammonium sulfate (AS) as a co-solute could induce the gelling of HP in acidic environment. The solubility and Zeta potential of HP dramatically decreased in AS solution, which indicated AS could promote the aggregation of HP. The rheological results confirmed the gelling of HP (G' > G″) with AS: 25-30 wt% and pH ≤ 3.0, and the gel strength is mainly depended on HP rather than AS concentration. Smaller AS crystals (SEM) and reduced T2 values (LF-NMR) were observed in HP gels, suggested the gel network of HP could limit the migration of AS and water. Finally, it was found that the release process of NH4+ in HP + AS gel was lagged behind that of pure AS, which verified the potential of HP + AS gel in the field of sustained-release fertilizers.

Physicochemical characteristics and functional properties of high methoxyl pectin with different degree of esterification.

Moderate alkali de-esterification can change the physicochemical characteristics and thus the functional properties of high methoxyl pectin (HMP). The results revealed that de-esterification could increase negative charges (Zeta potential from -21 to -31 mV), decrease molecular weight (from 448 to 136 kDa) and apparent viscosity of HMP. Homogalacturonan (HG) content decreased (from 62% to 49%) while rhamnogalacturonan Ⅰ (RG-Ⅰ) content increased (from 32% to 46%) after de-esterification. The group characteristics of HMP with different degree of esterification (DE) were similar and no obvious impact was made on degree of crystallinity by alkali de-esterification. A conformation transition of HMP molecule implied by Congo red test were occurred as the DE decreased. With the decrease of DE, the molecular structure of HMP became shorter and smaller, and the entanglement was weaker. The de-esterification caused slight decrease of thermal stability. Alkali de-esterification would weaken the gel property and the emulsifying ability of HMP.

Structural characterization of pectin-bismuth complexes and their aggregation in acidic conditions.

Bismuth-contained therapies are effective in treating gastric ulcer and eliminating Helicobacter pylori (Hp). Anion polysaccharides ligand could reduce the intake of bismuth, and enhance drug efficacy of bismuth compounds. In this study, pectin-bismuth (PB) was prepared and the changes of PB structure in acidic environment were reported for the first time. The structure of PB was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and TGA, which suggested that combined with bismuth could alter the crystal structure of pectin. XPS confirmed the ionic binding of Bi3+ with carboxyl groups of pectin. The aggregating of PB with different pH level were also investigated, and the influence of pH on PB structure were observed by SEM. Results showed that PB has much larger volume of flocculation in acidic environment compared with bismuth nitrate. Additionally, apparent shear stress (τa) of PB suspension was evaluated. These results revealed the structural characteristics and acid-induced aggregation of pectin-bismuth, and bismuth could aggregate in acidic solution with the gelation of pectin.