Comparative Extraction Performance of Solvent Systems in the Extraction and Characterization of Pectin from Prosopis Africana Seed Gum

Adie^1*, P. A., Ikese¹, C. O. and Otache², E. A.

¹Department of Chemistry, Benue State University, Makurdi-Nigeria

²Center for Food Technology and Research, Benue State University, Makurdi-Nigeria

Corresponding Author: padie@bsum.edu.ng

Abstract

Pectin was separately extracted in warm water bath from sun-dried and crushed Prosopis africana seed gum, using 0.05 M solutions of HCl, H₂SO₄, CH₃COOH, C₆H₈O₇ and a 3:2 blend of (H₂SO₄: C₆H₈O₇). The physicochemical properties of pectin extracted from the Prosopis africana seed gum shows the following: colour varied from beige-brown to wheat brown, equivalent weight (1,818.18 mg/mol to 25,000 mg/mol), methoxyl content (0.124 % to 1.705 %), moisture content (12 % to 38 %) and ash content (2 %) for all the solvent system used. Also, the comparative solvent performance shows that the H₂SO₄:C₆H₈O₇ solvent blend was the most effective for pectin extraction followed by the solvent HCl and H₂SO₄, while C₆H₈O₇ was the least effective. The comparative pectin yield of Prosopis africana seed gum using selected acid solvent ranged from 6.94 % to 15.28 %. Among the solvents under study, the H₂SO₄:C₆H₈O₇ solvent blend gave the highest pectin yield (15.28 %) with beige-brown, low methoxyl pectin of high purity and could be used as a functional food ingredient domestically and industrially.