Synthesis and enzymatic degradation of epichlorohydrin cross-linked pectins

The water solubility of pectin was successfully decreased by cross-linking with increasing amounts of epichlorohydrin in the reaction media. The initial molar ratios of epichlorohydrin/ galacturonic acid monomer in the reaction mixtures were 0, 0.37, 0.56, 0.74, 1.00, 1.47, and 2.44. The resulting epichlorohydrin cross-linked pectins were thus referred to as C-LP0, C-LP37, C-LP56, C-LP75, C-LP100, C-LP150, and C-LP250, respectively. Methoxylation degrees ranged from 60.5 ± 0.9% to 68.0 ± 0.6%, and the effective cross-linking degrees, determined by quantification of the hydroxyl anions consumed during the reaction, were 0, 17.8, 26.0, 38.3, 46.5, 53.5, and 58.7%, respectively. After incubating the different cross-linked pectins (0.5% w/v) in 25 mL of 0.05 M acetate-phosphate buffer (pH 4.5), containing 50 µL of Pectinex® Ultra SP-L (pectinolytic enzymes), between 60 and 80% of the pectin osidic bounds were broken in less than 1 hr. Moreover, increasing the cross-linking degree only resulted in a weak slowing on the enzymatic degradation velocity.     

Firmness and Cell Wall Characteristics of Pasteurized Jalapeño Pepper Rings Affected by Calcium Chloride and Acetic Acid

Pepper rings packed in brine containing CaCl₂ were firmer, had higher bound calcium, chelator soluble pectin and pectin DE, and less water-soluble pectin (WSP) than peppers packed in brine containing no CaCl₂. Pepper rings packed in low acid brines (1% and 1.2% acetic acid) were firmer and had less WSP than those packed in high acid brine. Those samples (4% acetic acid) resulted in softening and pectin solubilization, but CaCl₂ resulted in less softening. Monosaccharide composition of cell walls was not affected by CaCl₂ or acetic acid. Firmness retention in CaCl₂ treated samples was probably due to greater association between calcium ions and pectic substances, which resisted acid hydrolysis.     

Analysis of Flax Fiber Cell-Wall Non-Cellulosic Polysaccharides Under Different Weather Conditions (Marylin Variety)

The cell-wall composition has been analyzed for 13 batches of flax fibers grown over 3 years under 3 different weather conditions including a ‘normal one, a harsh drought and a rainy weather. It was found that both stresses, drought and excess of rain induced a decrease of uronic acid in the matrix and an increase of the structuring pectins. Besides, a drought led to an increase of hemicellulose polysaccharides (+24%) whereas an excess of rainfall caused a rise in the amount of so-called structuring pectins (+67%). As the fiber’s mechanical properties remained the same over the years, it was assumed that the cell-wall composition was modified to preserve the mechanical role of the fiber in the stem.     

酰胺化果胶最佳胶凝条件的探讨

以商品高酯果胶为原料,制备酰胺化果胶,以胶凝破碎强度为检测指标,得到酰胺化果胶的最佳胶凝条件.以pH值、酰胺化果胶浓度、蔗糖浓度、Ca2+浓度4因素为因素,以去离子水配制溶液,保存温度5℃、保存时间48h进行正交试验得到的最佳胶凝条件为:pH值3.6、酰胺化果胶浓度1.4%、蔗糖浓度30%、Ca2+浓度50 mgCa2+/g酰胺化果胶.     

Synthesis and immunological properties of a tetrasaccharide portion of the B side chain of rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II)

A highly convergent strategy was used for the synthesis of a tetrasaccharide [3-aminopropyl beta-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside] portion of the B side chain of the plant cell-wall pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II). The terminal nonreducing beta-L-arabinofuranosyl residue of the target compound was installed by using an arabinofuranosyl donor that was protected with a 3,5-O-(di-tert-butylsilane) group to facilitate nucleophilic attack from the beta-face. The synthetic strategy also employed a chemoselective glycosylation of a trichloroacetimidate donor with a thioglycosyl acceptor; this gave a product that could be used immediately in a subsequent glycosylation. The reducing end of the tetrasaccharide contained an aminopropyl group to facilitate conjugation to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Mice that were immunized with a KLH-tetrasaccharide conjugate produced antibodies that recognized RG-II isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana cell walls, but did not recognize RG-II obtained from red wine. Our data suggest that the arabinopyranosyl residue exists in the (4)C(1) conformation in the tetrasaccharide and in A. thaliana RG-II, whereas it has the (1)C(4) conformation in wine RG-II. It is proposed that differences in the conformation of side chain B might account for the ability of antibodies to discriminate between RG-II that was isolated from Arabidopsis and wine.     

Dietary Fiber in Processed Lentils

Effect of soaking (distilled water, 0.1% citric acid (CA) and 0.07% sodium bicarbonate (SB) solutions), and cooking (distilled water) was studied on dietary fiber components of lentils. A high increase of protopectin, total pectic substances (PS), and dietary fiber (DF) was observed in soaked lentils (dry matter basis). Soaking in CA and in SB solutions led to an appreciable increase of hemicellulose (HMC) and neutral detergent fiber, but not in lentils soaked in water. Cooking the previously soaked lentils, reduced the amount of DF, due to a drastic loss of HMC, although cellulose and lignin increased. PS content of cooked lentils, previously soaked in CA and SB was still higher than in raw lentil.     

Temperature dependence of the formation and melting of pectin–Ca networks: a rheological study

Small deformation dynamic rheometry was used to characterise the calcium-induced gelation of low-methoxyl pectins, at two different pH values. The gelation kinetics was interpreted with basis on the change of the storage modulus with time, taken as a measure of changes in cross-linking density within the pectin–calcium network. The temperature influence on the rate of gel formation and ageing was evaluated, as well as the temperature sensitivity of the cured gels. The formation and the softening/melting of pectin–calcium networks were also studied under non-isothermal conditions. The structural diversity of the two pectin samples had a great influence on the gelation kinetics and thermal behaviour of these pectin–calcium networks, due to differences in the steric arrangement or environment and/or availability of the chelating groups. An association mechanism is suggested to predominate under conditions of low availability of dissociated carboxylic groups, due to a low pH, higher degree of methylation, or steric constraints introduced by acetylation or neutral side chains, different from the classical ‘egg-box’ model, and where non-ionic hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions may co-exist and cooperate with coordinative binding of calcium-ions.     

Structure and properties of sugar beet fibres

Fibrous fractions were prepared from sugar beet pulp (RF) by sequential extractions with potassium oxalate, 0.05 M hydrochloric acid at 85°C and 0.05 m sodium hydroxide at 4°C. The overall composition, polysaccharide structure and some physico-chemical properties (cation exchange capacity, CEC; water holding capacity, WHC; swelling) of each fraction were determined. RF was mostly composed of carbohydrates (66.3 %) with minor amounts of ash, proteins and lignin. The main polysaccharides were highly methylated and acetylated pectins, cellulose and arabinans. The oxalate residue (82.1 % of RF) exhibited only minute differences from RF whereas the acidic and alkaline residues, accounting for 42.8 % and 35.5 % of RF, respectively, were enriched in cellulose and hemicelluloses (xylans, xyloglucans, mannans) and mostly devoid of pectins and arabinans. CEC and WHC of fractions were closely related to the content of unmethylated galacturonic acid residues. The influence of the ionic form of ionisable groups was demonstrated, the Na⁺ form giving the highest WHC. The ionic strength of the medium can reduce the WHC, especially in the case of the acid and alkali-extracted fibres.     

Purification of pectin from apple pomace juice by using sodium caseinate and characterisation of their binding by isothermal titration calorimetry

The binding of sodium caseinate to pectin using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) under different pH values (2, 3, 3.5), and comparison of two purification processes (sodium caseinate or ethanol), based on the physicochemical characteristics of purified pectin was evaluated. The results indicated that ITC titration confirmed the existence of interactions between caseinates and pectin at pH 3 and 3.5. The interaction depicts two interdependent steps, one attributed to an electrostatic interaction and another related to a co-acervation mechanism. The chemical characteristics of pectins are strongly dependent on the purification process. Under some extraction conditions, ethanol is not specific to the recovery of pectin since it causes the precipitation of other compounds together with this polysaccharide.