Interfacial properties of ultrahigh methoxylated pectin

Pectin hydrogels for controlled drug release: Recent developments and future prospects

Pectin hydrogels have emerged as a highly promising medium for the controlled release of pharmaceuticals in the dynamic field of drug delivery. The present review sheds light on the broad range of applications and potential of pectin-based hydrogels in pharmaceutical formulations. Pectin, as a biopolymer, is a versatile candidate for various drug delivery systems because of its wide range of properties and characteristics. The information provided on formulation strategies and crosslinking techniques provides researchers with tools to improve drug entrapment and controlled release. Furthermore, this review provides a more in-depth understanding of the complex factors influencing drug release from pectin hydrogels, such as the impact of environmental conditions and drug-specific characteristics. Pectin hydrogels demonstrate adaptability across diverse domains, ranging from applications in oral and transdermal drug delivery to contributions in wound healing, tissue engineering, and ongoing clinical trials. While standardization and regulatory compliance remain significant challenges, the future of pectin hydrogels appears to be bright, opening up new possibilities for advanced drug delivery systems.

Degree of methyl esterification: A key factor for the encapsulation of icaritin with pectin

Pectin is a promising nano-carrier. The degree of methyl esterification (DM) influences the physiochemical properties of pectin. However, the effect of DM on the encapsulation capacity of pectin remains unclear. In this work, low methyl-esterified pectin (LMP) and high methyl-esterified pectin (HMP) were prepared. The molecular weight, rheological properties of these pectins with various DM levels were determined. Then icaritin/pectin micelles (IPMs) were prepared using HMP and LMP. Notably, higher loading capacities (18.75-20.12 %) were observed in HMP-IPMs compared to LMP-IPMs (15.72-16.64 %). Furthermore, LMP-IPMs demonstrated a DM-dependent reduction in particle sizes, ranging from 449 to 527 nm. In contrast, the particle sizes of HMP-IPMs varied between 342 and 566 nm, with smaller particle sizes observed in HMP-IPMs at higher DM levels. A significant positive correlation was found between DM and the formation of IPMs, including encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, Zeta potential, and polydispersity index. Alkali de-esterification showed a weak impact on the pectin structure. Hydroxyl groups like 7-OH and 5-OH of icaritin might be involved in the formation of IPMs. The hydrogen-bond interactions between pectin and icaritin could be enhanced as DM increased.

Pectin-interactions and the digestive stability of anthocyanins in thermal and non-thermal processed strawberry pulp

This study investigated the digestive stability of anthocyanins (ACNs) and their interaction with three pectin fractions-water-soluble pectin (WSP), cyclohexanetrans-1,2-diamine tetra-acetic acid-soluble pectin (CSP), and sodium carbonate-soluble pectin (NSP)-in strawberry pulp processed by pasteurization (PS), ultrasound (US), electron beam (EB) irradiation, and high pressure (HP). Compared with the control group, the ACNs content increased to the highest level (312.89 mg/mL), but the retention rate of ACNs in the simulated intestine decreased significantly after US treatment. The monosaccharide compositions indicated that the WSP and CSP possessed more homogalacturonan (HG) domains than the NSP, which contains more rhamngalacturonan-I (RG-I) domains. The microstructure of US-treated pectin was damaged and fragmented. Comprehensive analysis showed that the retention rate of ACNs was closely related to the pectin structure, primarily reflected by the degree of linearity and the integrity of structure. These results revealed the structure-activity relationship between ACNs and pectin during pulp processing.

The Effects of Pectin Structure on Emulsifying, Rheological, and In Vitro Digestion Properties of Emulsion

Pectin, a complex hydrocolloid, attracts extensive attention and application stemming from its good emulsification. However, the source of emulsification remains a conundrum. In this experiment, the structures of six kinds of commercial pectin, including LM 101 AS (101), LM 104 AS (104), 121 SLOW SET (121), YM 150 H (150), LM 13 CG (13CG), and β-PECTIN (β-P) were determined, and the effects of pectin structure on emulsion emulsification, rheology and in vitro digestibility were studied. The results showed that the β-P pectin contained a higher content of protein, ferulic acid, and acetyl and had a lower interfacial tension; this pectin-stabilized emulsion exhibited a smaller droplet size and superior centrifugal and storage stability. The results showed that β-P pectin had higher contents of protein, ferulic acid, and acetyl and lower interfacial tension than other pectins, and its stabilized emulsion exhibited smaller droplet size and superior centrifugation and storage stability. Furthermore, the emulsion formed by the pectin with high molecular weight and degree of methoxylation (DM) had a higher viscosity, which can inhibit the aggregation of emulsion droplets to some extent. However, the DM of pectin affected the charge and digestion behavior of pectin emulsion to a great extent. The smaller the DM, the more negative charge the emulsion carried, and the higher the release rate of free fatty acids. The results provided a basis for the rational selection and structural design of the pectin emulsifier.

Synergy in Aqueous Systems Containing Bioactive Ingredients of Natural Origin: Saponin/Pectin Mixtures

Biocompatible and biodegradable ingredients of natural origin are widely used in the design of foam and emulsion systems with various technological applications in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The determination of the precise composition of aqueous solution formulations is a key issue for the achievement of environmentally-friendly disperse systems with controllable properties and reasonable stability. The present work is focused on the investigation of synergistic interactions in aqueous systems containing Quillaja saponins and Apple pectins. Profile analysis tensiometer (PAT-1) is applied to study the surface tension and surface dilational rheology of the adsorption layers at the air/solution interface. The properties and the foam films (drainage kinetics, film thickness, disjoining pressure isotherm, critical pressure of rupture) are investigated using the thin-liquid-film (TLF) microinterferometric method of Scheludko–Exerowa and the TLF-pressure-balance technique (TLF-PBT). The results demonstrate that the structure and stability performance of the complex aqueous solutions can be finely tuned by changing the ratio of the bioactive ingredients. The attained experimental data evidence that the most pronounced synergy effect is registered at a specific saponin:pectin ratio. The obtained information is essential for the further development of aqueous solution formulations intended to achieve stable foams based on mixtures of Quillaja saponins and Apple pectins in view of future industrial, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Hybrid techniques of pre and assisted processing modify structural, physicochemical and functional characteristics of okra pectin: Controlled-temperature ultrasonic-assisted extraction from preparative dry powders and its field monitoring

Diversiform okra dry powders were prepared and controlled-temperature ultrasonic-assisted extraction (CTUAE) was then utilized to obtain okra pectin (OP) from the preparative powders. During processing of hybrid techniques, 6 types of dry powders were prepared through different drying technologies (hot air drying, HD; freeze-drying, FD) and meshes (60, 80, 120 meshes) at first. Next, the extraction yield, physicochemical and function characteristics, and molecular structure of OP were analyzed with or without CTUAE technique. Meanwhile, the time-frequency domains of acoustic fields during extraction process of OP were monitored to analyze the effects of ultrasonic fields. Results showed that OP main chains with less cracking by FD than that by HD; the yield, GalA, esterification degree (DE), M_w and viscosity of OP increased, but its particle size decreased. Water holding capacity (WHC) and oil holding capacity (OHC) of OP by HD were more prominent. Secondly, HD OP had dendritic rigid chains, while FD OP had flexible chains with multiple branches. For HD OP, as meshes of okra dry powders decreased, GalA, viscosity and emulsification ability decreased; while gel strength and thermal stability increased. For FD OP, the reduction of meshes improved thermal stability. Above all, CTUAE technique increased the yield and GalA, and decreased DE, M_w and particle size of OP. In terms of functional characteristics, the technique also improved gel strength, resilience and viscoelasticity, enhanced emulsifying stability, WHC and thermal stability, and reduced viscosity. Finally, the correlation between functional and structural characteristics of OP was quantified, and some suggestions were made for its application in food areas.

Physicochemical, structural and rheological properties of pectin isolated from citrus canning processing water

In order to better utilize the citrus pectin (CP) resource, the crude citrus pectin (CCP), obtained from the citrus fruit canning processing waste water, was purified by cellulose DEAE-52 column, providing neutral polysaccharide CP0 and two acidic polysaccharides (CP1 and CP3). CP1 had the highest yield among the three fractions, being 44.29%. The chemical composition, structure and morphology of these pectin components were analyzed. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that arabinose was the most abundant composition in these pectin samples. CCP, CP1 and CP3 were mainly composed of rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) regions. Compared with CP3, CCP and CP1 had longer side chains, which are mainly consisted of arabinose. FT-IR and NMR analysis indicated that α-type glycosidic bonds are the main linkage in the four pectin components. These CP samples were found to possess different conformation, but no triple-helical conformation was observed in all these CP fractions. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that CCP, CP1 and CP3 all had irregular sheet-like structures and partly porous structures. The four pectin components showed the characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids and possessed good viscoelasticity. Due to these properties, the pectin might have potential application in food industry as food thickening agent.