Exploring pectin from ripe and unripe Banana Peel: A novel functional fat replacers in muffins

The study addresses global fruit waste concerns in the food industry by extracting pectin from both ripe and unripe banana peels at varying pH levels and time intervals using hydrochloric acid. The best results were observed for unripe banana peel pectin at pH 1.5 and 250 min exhibiting a yield of 16.46% and favorable characteristics. In muffin development, seven treatments (M0, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 and M6) are prepared and analyzed for morphology, nutritional content, and sensory parameters. The M4 treatment, utilizing pectin from unripe banana peel at pH 1.5 and 250 min, displays superior qualities with reduced peroxide value, free fatty acids, percent moisture loss, and hardness. Sensory evaluations indicate high acceptability due to lower fat content. In conclusion, the extraction of pectin from unripe banana peels proves promising as a fat replacer in bakery items, maintaining muffin quality while addressing fruit waste challenges in the food industry.

Journey of dietary fiber along the gastrointestinal tract: role of physical interactions, mucus, and biochemical transformations

Dietary fiber-rich foods have been associated with numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Harnessing the potential to deliver positive health outcomes rests on our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive these associations. This review addresses data and concepts concerning plant-based food functionality by dissecting the cascade of physical and chemical digestive processes and interactions that underpin these physiological benefits. Functional transformations of dietary fiber along the gastrointestinal tract from the stages of oral processing and gastric emptying to intestinal digestion and colonic fermentation influence its capacity to modulate digestion, transit, and commensal microbiome. This analysis highlights the significance, limitations, and challenges in decoding the complex web of interactions to establish a coherent framework connecting specific fiber components' molecular and macroscale interactions across multiple length scales within the gastrointestinal tract. One critical area that requires closer examination is the interaction between fiber, mucus barrier, and the commensal microbiome when considering food structure design and personalized nutritional strategies for beneficial physiologic effects. Understanding the response of specific fibers, particularly concerning an individual's physiology, will offer the opportunity to exploit these functional characteristics to elicit specific, symptom-targeting effects or use fiber types as adjunctive therapies.

As assessment of shelf life increasing competence of pectin (Zucchini) based edible coating on tomatoes

The most recent advancement in food packaging research involves improving the shelf life of perishable foods by utilising bio-based resources that are edible, eco-friendly, and biodegradable. The current study investigated the effect of edible pectin coating on mature green tomatoes to improve shelf life and storage properties. Zucchini pectin was used to make edible coating. The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of extracted pectin were investigated. The findings indicated that the extracted pectin had antimicrobial (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger) and antioxidant (34.32% at 1 mg/mL) properties.Tomatoes were immersed in pectin solutions of varying concentrations, 1, 3, and 5% (w/v). Physiological evaluations of weight loss, total sugar content, titratable acidity pH, and ascorbic acid were performed on tomatoes during their maturing stages of mature green, light red, pure red, and breaking. Coating the tomatoes with pectin (5%) resulted in minimal weight loss while increasing the retention of total sugar, ascorbic acid, and titratable acidity. The shelf life of the pectin-coated tomatoes was extended to 11 days, while the uncoated control tomatoes lasted 9 days. Thus, a 5% edible pectin solution was found to be effective in coating tomatoes. The current study suggests that using 5% pectin as an edible coating on tomatoes can delay/slow the ripening/maturing process while also extending the shelf-life of tomatoes without affecting their physiochemical properties, which is scalable on a large scale for commercial purposes.

The reduce of water vapor permeability of polysaccharide-based films in food packaging: A comprehensive review

Polysaccharide-based films are favored in the food packaging industry because of their advantages of green and safe characters, as well as natural degradability, but due to the structural defects of polysaccharides, they also have the disadvantages of high water vapor permeability (WVP), which greatly limits their application in the food packaging industry. To break the limitation, numerous methods, e.g., physical and/or chemical methods, have been employed. This review mainly elaborates the up-to-date research status of the application of polysaccharide-based films (PBFs) in food packaging area, including various films from cellulose and its derivatives, starch, chitosan, pectin, alginate, pullulan and so on, while the methods of reducing the WVP of PBFs, mainly divided into physical and chemical methods, are summarized, as well as the discussions about the existing problems and development trends of PBFs. In the end, suggestions about the future development of WVP of PBFs are presented.

Ultrasound- and Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Pectin from Apple Pomace and Its Effect on the Quality of Fruit Bars

The article investigates the process of pectin extraction using ultrasonic and microwave techniques from apple pomace generated during juice production in the context of circular bioeconomy. The extraction yield, equivalent mass, content of methoxyl groups, content of anhydrogalacturonic acid, and degree of esterification of pectin were investigated. These indicators varied depending on the parameters and extraction method. The resulting pectin displayed a co-extracted total polyphenol content (TPC) ranging from 2.16 to 13.05 mg GAE/g DW and a DPPH radical inhibition capacity of 4.32-18.86 μmol TE/g. It was found that the antioxidant activity of raw pectin is correlated with TPC and with the content of terminal groups released during the polysaccharide degradation process. The extracted pectin was used as a binding and coating agent for dried fruit bars. Evaluation of water activity (a_w), TPC and total flavonoid content (TFC), together with sensory and microbiological analyses of the fruit bars over a period of 360 days, revealed a protective effect of pectin: reducing moisture loss, minimizing the degradation of bioactive compounds during storage, and maintaining the potential antioxidant activity of the product.

Pectin from Three Vietnamese Seagrasses: Isolation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Activity

This study focused on the isolation and structural characterization of pectin from three distinct species of Vietnamese seagrass including Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, and Halophila ovalis. The pectin yield obtained from Enhalus acoroides was the highest, corresponding to 24.15%, followed by those from Thalassia hemprichii (20.04%) and Halophila ovalis (19.14%). The physicochemical properties of pectin including total carbohydrate content, anhydrouronic acid (AUA) content, equivalent weight (EW), methoxyl content (MeO), and degree of esterification (DE) were determined using various analysis techniques. The pectin obtained from all three species were found to be low-methyl-esterified pectin, with the MeO content and DE for E. acoroides, T. hemprichii, and H. ovalis being 6.15% and 27.18%, 3.26% and 43.31%, and 4.65% and 33.25%, respectively. The average molecular weight (MW) of pectin was analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography. Pectin from T. hemprichii had the highest MW of 173.01 kDa, followed by pectin from E. acoroides, with a MW of 127.32 kDa, and that from H. ovalis, with a MW of 56.06 kDa. Furthermore, the pectins from all three seagrass species exhibited high antioxidant activity and might be promising as antioxidants.

Recent progress in pectin extraction, characterization, and pectin-based films for active food packaging applications: A review

Pectin is an abundant complex polysaccharide obtained from various plants. Safe, biodegradable, and edible pectin has been extensively utilized in the food industry as a gelling agent, thickener, and colloid stabilizer. Pectin can be extracted in a variety of ways, thus affecting its structure and properties. Pectin's excellent physicochemical properties make it suitable for many applications, including food packaging. Recently, pectin has been spotlighted as a promising biomaterial for manufacturing bio-based sustainable packaging films and coatings. Functional pectin-based composite films and coatings are useful for active food packaging applications. This review discusses pectin and its use in active food packaging applications. First, basic information and characteristics of pectin, such as the source, extraction method, and structural characteristics, were described. Then, various methods of pectin modification were discussed, and the following section briefly described pectin's physicochemical properties and applications in the food sector. Finally, the recent development of pectin-based food packaging films and coatings and their use in food packaging were comprehensively discussed.

Integration of enzymatic modification and ultrafiltration for the production of pectin fractions with highly potent antioxidant capacity as green valorization of sugar beet pulp

Enzymatic hydrolysis of pectin followed by ultrafiltration of hydrolysate was applied with the aim to produce fractions with potent antioxidant capacity. Pectin was isolated from waste sugar beet pulp by acidic extraction, washed by diafiltration and concentrated by ultrafiltration. Enzymatic hydrolysis was performed with endo-polygalacturonase, and hydrolysate was processed by ultrafiltration into four fractions using membranes in series of decreasing cut-offs from 10 to 1 kDa. Hydrolysis with endo-polygalacturonase increased total antioxidant capacity by twofold in comparison to un-hydrolyzed pectin. Antioxidant capacity of all fractions was considerably higher than that of pectin-from 14.7 to 25-fold, for fraction containing fragments 10 kDa > Mw > 5 kDa and Mw < 1 kDa, respectively. Considerable increase of total antioxidant capacity of pectin through the integration of enzymatic modification and ultrafiltration fractionation indicated great potential of applied green protocol for the production of high-value hydrolysates of pectin from waste sugar beet pulp.

Green Carbon Dots as Additives of Biopolymer Films for Preserving from Oxidation of Oil-Based Products

The deterioration of oil-based products during processing, distribution and storage has a major negative impact on the industry from an economic point of view. The spoilage of oil is mainly due to its oxidation which can be triggered by various factors, such as UV light, heating or the presence of impurities that result in the formation of radical species. In this context, several packaging alternatives have recently been developed with the aim to protect and extend the shelf life of oil-based products. This work aimed to study the antioxidant properties of bio-polymer-based films (BPFs) obtained from high methoxylated pectin (HMP) and sodium caseinate (CAS) and enriched with different concentrations of green carbon dots (gCDs), 0.25%, 0.50 and 1% w/w, obtained from apple pomace (APCDs) and rosemary powder (RCDs). The resulting films (gCDs-BPFs) have shown that the presence of gCDs not only modified the surface roughness of the films, but also positively affected their antioxidant properties. The addition of gCDs enhanced the radical inhibiting capacity of the raw BPFs by 42 and 62% for the films containing 1% RCDs and 1% APCDs, respectively. As a proof of the concept, two oil samples (edible and cosmetic) were treated with the obtained antioxidant films, and the results demonstrated that in both types of samples the oxidation process was minimized during the five days of the experiment. These results are promising and suggest that the antioxidant bio-polymer-based films could be excellent candidates for further production of active packaging.

Effect of added hydrocolloids on ready-to-eat courgette (Cucurbita pepo) puree ohmically treated

The influence of two natural different hydrocolloids (apple and citrus pectin) on physical, rheological and textural parameters, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of the courgette (Cucurbita pepo) puree was studied. The experiment aimed the development of dysphagia-oriented food products, which need to meet special requirements as a challenge for food rheology and novel ready-to-eat products. The pectin was added in the range of 0.1-0.3%. The courgette puree was ohmically heated at 20 V/cm for 3 min. The ohmic heating was used to improve and preserve the main properties of the purees. The antioxidant activity is stimulated by the ohmic heating, the values ranging up to 58% compared with the control sample. The courgette purees with apple or citrus pectin has registered a pseudoplastic rheological behaviour. The hardness increases with 22% once with the application of the thermic treatment. FT-IR spectroscopy and confocal microscopy reveal the benefits of using the ohmic heating as a processing method for courgettes puree. The results demonstrated the importance of using ohmic heating in the obtaining of courgettes puree for people with dysphagia.

Analysis of chemical compounds’ content in different varieties of carrots, including qualification and quantification of sugars, organic acids, minerals, and bioactive compounds by UPLC

Twelve carrot varieties in different colours and sizes were investigated for chemical properties (dry matter, ash, pectins, titratable acidity, and pH), contents of vitamin C, sugar, organic acids, mineral (sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium), and anti-oxidant activities (ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC). Moreover, total polyphenolics and total tetraterpenoids of colourful carrot varieties were presented. According to the study, sucrose was the dominant sugar and isocitric acid was the most common organic acid in carrot samples. In the case of mineral content, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and iron were identified, while copper was not identified in carrots. Additionally, most of the analyzed carrots were a good source of pectins (average—1.3%), except for mini-orange carrot. Purple-coloured carrot samples demonstrated the highest results for total sugar (11.2 g/100 g fm), total organic acid (2.8 g/100 g fm), total polyphenolic contents (224.4 mg/100 g fm), and anti-oxidant activities (17.1 mmol Trolox equivalents/100 g dm). In turn, the lowest results were observed in normal yellow carrot for total polyphenols (7.3 mg/100 g fm), and anti-oxidant activities (2.5 mmol Trolox equivalents/100 g dm); besides, the lowest total tetraterpenoids were determined in micro-white carrot—0.2 mg/100 g fm.

Modified Spirulina maxima Pectin Nanoparticles Improve the Developmental Competence of In Vitro Matured Porcine Oocytes

Simple Summary

Poor in vitro embryo development is a major obstacle in porcine assisted reproduction. In the current study, we utilized modified Spirulina maxima pectin nanoparticles as a supplement to improve porcine in vitro maturation medium. Results showed that modified Spirulina maxima pectin nanoparticles at 2.5 µg/mL improved oocyte maturation in form of first polar body extrusion, reduced oxidative stress, and increased the developmental competence of the oocytes after parthenogenetic activation and somatic cell nuclear transfer. Moreover, the relative transcripts quantification showed significant increase in the pluripotency-associated transcripts in the resultant cloned embryos after modified Spirulina maxima pectin nanoparticles supplementation. Therefore, we provide an optimum in vitro maturation condition to improve the in vitro embryo production in porcine.

Abstract

Molecular approaches have been used to determine metabolic substrates involved in the early embryonic processes to provide adequate culture conditions. To investigate the effect of modified Spirulina maxima pectin nanoparticles (MSmPNPs) on oocyte developmental competence, cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) retrieved from pig slaughterhouse ovaries were subjected to various concentrations of MSmPNPs (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10 µg/mL) during in vitro maturation (IVM). In comparison to the control, MSmPNPs-5.0, and MSmPNPs-10 groups, oocytes treated with 2.5 µg/mL MSmPNPs had significantly increased glutathione (GSH) levels and lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Following parthenogenetic activation, the MSmPNPs-2.5 group had a considerably higher maturation and cleavage rates, blastocyst development, total cell number, and ratio of inner cell mass/trophectoderm (ICM:TE) cells, when compared with those in the control and all other treated groups. Furthermore, similar findings were reported for the developmental competence of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)-derived embryos. Additionally, the relative quantification of POU5F1, DPPA2, and NDP52 mRNA transcript levels were significantly higher in the MSmPNPs-2.5 group than in the control and other treated groups. Taken together, the current findings suggest that MSmPNP treatment alleviates oxidative stress and enhances the developmental competence of porcine in vitro matured oocytes after parthenogenetic activation and SCNT.

Investigation of antioxidant and anticancer activities of unsaturated oligo-galacturonic acids produced by pectinase of Streptomyces hydrogenans YAM1

Pectin, a diverse carbohydrate polymer in plants consists of a core of α-1,4-linked D-galacturonic acid units, includes a vast portion of fruit and agricultural wastes. Using the wastes to produce beneficial compounds is a new approach to control the negative environmental impacts of the accumulated wastes. In the present study, we report a pectinase producing bacterium Streptomyces hydrogenans YAM1 and evaluate antioxidative and anticancer effects of the oligosaccharides obtained from pectin degradation. The production of oligosaccharides due to pectinase activity was detected by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Our results revealed that S. hydrogenans YAM1 can degrade pectin to unsaturated pectic oligo-galacturonic acids (POS) with approximately 93% radical scavenging activity in 20 mg/mL which it is more than 50% of the same concentration of pectin. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that MCF-7 cells viability decreased more than 32 and 92% following treatment with 6 and 20 mg/mL POS after 24 h, respectively. It is suggested that pectin degradation by S. hydrogenans YAM1 is not only a new approach to produce highly active compounds from fruit wastes, but also is an effective method to remove fibrous pollutants from different environments.

Enzymatically Extracted Apple Pectin Possesses Antioxidant and Antitumor Activity

The biological activity of apple pectin extracted conventionally or enzymatically using endo-xylanase and endo-cellulase, was tested in vitro. The analyses were performerd in tetraplicates and the statistical significance of the differences were assessed using ANOVA, Tukey post hoc and LSD (the least significant difference) tests. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the structural components that have a crucial importance for antioxidant and antitumor properties of pectins. The pectins extracted by enzymes contained up to four times more ferulic acid and showed twice as great ability to neutralize free radicals and Fe(III) reduction. The antiradical potential positively correlated with phenols, fucose and rhamnose content. In the assays performed on HT-29 human adenocarcinoma and B16F10 melanoma cell cultures, the “green” pectins, contrary to acid isolated ones, exhibited remarkable anti-neoplastic potential while being nontoxic to nontransformed L929 cell line. The pectins in the dose of 1 mg/mL were capable of inhibiting adhesion (max 23.1%), proliferation (max 40.4%), invasion (max 76.9%) and anchorage-independent growth (max 90%) of HT-29 cells (significance level p < 0.001). These pectin preparations were slightly less active towards B16F10 cells. The enzyme-isolated apple pectins may be useful as a functional food additive and an ingredient of the ointment formulas for post-surgical melanoma treatment.

Neuroprotective validation of pectin in T2DM-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia in diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain

AIM

To validate neuroprotective effect of pectin against neuropathic pain in diabetic rodents.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Pectin was isolated and characterised from different sources to validate its neuroprotective effect against T2DM associated neuropathic pain. The antioxidant activity of pectins was done by the DPPH method. Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was induced in Wistar albino rats by high-fat diet and high-fat emulsion feeding for 2 weeks followed by a single i.p. of Sterptozotocin in 3rd week. The animals were grouped as positive control and Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck peel pectin (CSL-OP) as test group and treated for the next 4 weeks. Body weight and blood glucose were measured up to 8 weeks; however, behavioural assessment was done at the end of 5th to 8th week.

RESULT

CSL-OP restored the reduced body weight and elevated blood glucose with increased pain threshold and improved walking performance.

CONCLUSION

CSL-OP prevented progression of early diabetic neuropathy with anti-oxidant activity.

Isolation, structural characterization, and biological activities of galactomannans from Rhizopogon luteolus and Ganoderma adspersum mushrooms

Polysaccharides are essential compounds that contribute to the biological activities of mushrooms. Two new galactomannans (Galactomannan I and II) were isolated from R. luteolus and G. adspersum. Their structures were characterized using FT-IR, 1D, and 2D-NMR techniques. Both isolated galactomannans I and II mainly include D-mannose and D-galactose in the molar percentages of 0.81:1.0 and 1:1.4, respectively. The GPC calculation demonstrated that the molecular weights are about 5240 and 5090 Da, respectively. Their structures comprise of β-(1,4)-mannose (Man) backbone units with α-(1,6)-galactose (Gal) single unit as a side group. The anticholinesterase activity of galactomannans was tested against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), spectrophotometrically. Antioxidant activity was also measured by six assays (ABTS^•+, DPPH^•, O₂^•-, β-carotene-linoleic acid, metal chelating, and CUPRAC assays). Galactomannan II indicated close inhibitory activity to galantamine against AChE (61.04 ± 0.45%) and BChE (59.70 ± 1.15%) at 50 μg/mL concentration. Nevertheless, both galactomannans showed low antioxidant activity in all tests. This study reveals that mainly, Galactomannan II could be used as a new natural promising anticholinesterase agent.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial applications of biopolymers: A review

Biopolymers have generated mounting interest among researchers and industrialists over the recent past. Rising consciousness on the use of eco-friendly materials as green alternatives for fossil-based biopolymers has shifted the research focus towards biopolymers. Advances in technologies have opened up new windows of opportunities to explore the potential of biopolymers. In this context, this review presents a critique on applications of biopolymers in relation to antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Some biopolymers are reported to contain inherent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, whereas, some biopolymers, which do not possess such inherent properties, are used as carriers for other biopolymers or additives having these properties. Modifications are often performed in order to improve the properties of biopolymers to suit them for different applications. This review aims at presenting an overview on recent advances in the use of biopolymers with special reference to their antioxidant and antimicrobial applications in various fields.

Novel pectin isolated from Spirulina maxima enhances the disease resistance and immune responses in zebrafish against Edwardsiella piscicida and Aeromonas hydrophila

In this study, we demonstrate the enhanced disease resistance and positive immunomodulation of novel pectin isolated from Spirulina maxima (SmP) in zebrafish model. Zebrafish larvae exposed to SmP had significantly (p < 0.05) higher cumulative percent survival (CPS) at 25 (44.0%) and 50 μg/mL (67.0%) against Edwardsiella piscicida compared to the control. However, upon Aeromonas hydrophila challenge, SmP exposed larvae at 50 μg/mL had slightly higher CPS (33.3%) compared to control group (26.7%). SmP supplemented zebrafish exhibited the higher CPS against E. piscicida (93.3%) and A. hydrophila (60.0%) during the early stage of post-infection (<18 hpi). qRT-PCR results demonstrated that exposing (larvae) and feeding (adults) of SmP, drive the modulation of a wide array of immune response genes. In SmP exposed larvae, up-regulation of the antimicrobial enzyme (lyz: 3.5-fold), mucin (muc5.1: 2.84, muc5.2: 2.11 and muc5.3: 2.40-fold), pro-inflammatory cytokines (il1β: 1.79-fold) and anti-oxidants (cat: 2.87 and sod1: 1.82-fold) were identified. In SmP fed adult zebrafish (gut) showed >2-fold induced pro-inflammatory cytokine (il1β) and chemokines (cxcl18b, ccl34a.4 and ccl34b.4). Overall results confirmed the positive modulation of innate immune responses in larval stage and it could be the main reason for developing disease resistance against E. piscicida and A. hydrophila. Thus, non-toxic, natural and biodegradable SmP could be considered as the potential immunomodulatory agent for sustainable aquaculture.

Structural characterization and determination of biological activities for different polysaccharides extracted from tree mushroom species

Chemical composition and structural characterization of polysaccharides of Fomes fomentarius (FF), Fuscoporia torulosa, Ganoderma adspersum, Ganoderma applanatum (GAP), Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus igniarius, Pleurotus ostreatus (PO), and Porodaedalea pini (PP) tree mushrooms with antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities were determined in this research. Total carbohydrate contents of the polysaccharides were ranged between 65.06 ± 6.76 and 88.27 ± 5.15 µg/mg and total protein contents were ranged between 3.18 ± 0.72 and 6.56 ± 1.25 µg/mg. Galactose, glucose, and mannose were identified as major monosaccharides in all polysaccharides using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. FT-IR analysis showed the characteristic peaks of the polysaccharides and high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection was used to determine the molecular weight of the polysaccharides. In β-carotene-linoleic acid assay FF (IC₅₀ : 2.55 ± 0.40 µg/ml) displayed the highest antioxidant activity, whereas GAP indicated the highest antioxidant activity in cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (A_0.50 :59.90 ± 0.53 μg/ml), ABTS^•+ (IC₅₀ : 16.62 ± 0.31 μg/ml), and DPPH^• (IC₅₀ : 45.58 ± 0.21 μg/ml) assays. In cholinesterase inhibitory activity test, PO (56.31±0.0.74%) showed significant inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinesterase enzyme. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Polysaccharides from mushrooms are the major class of bioactive compounds with various biological activities. Several studies were performed on the biological activity of the polysaccharide extracts from different mushrooms. However, to our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical composition, structural characterization, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase activities of extracted polysaccharides from studied mushrooms in detail. This investigation shows that polysaccharide extracts obtained from tree mushrooms show a significant bioactivity and these polysaccharides might be used as bioactive natural sources in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.

Structural, rheological and antioxidant properties of pectins from Equisetum arvense L. and Equisetum sylvaticum L

The pectins were isolated from sterile stems of E. arvense (EA, yield 5.9%) and E. sylvaticum (ES, yield 4.8%) (Equisetaceae) using ammonium oxalate extraction after preliminary treatment with dilute HCl (рH 4.0). The pectins possessed high molecular weight (Mw, 340-360 kDa), high GalA content (ca. 85%), low degrees of methyl-esterification (14-16%) and acetylation (3-8%). NMR analysis indicated extensive regions of partially methyl-etherified and 3-O-acetylated HG and minor regions of low branched RG in the fragment isolated after hydrolysis of pectin EA by pectinase. Pectin EA produced a higher viscosity solution, formed a stronger and more rigid ionotropic hydrogel than pectin ES. The pectins scavenged DPPH and hydroxyl radicals, but not the superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide. Phenolic compounds (0.11 and 0.23%) associated with polysaccharide moieties were apparently responsible for the differences in the anti-DPPH scavenging activity of pectins EA and ES (63 and 49%). The findings suggested that pectin from E. arvense should be more perspective than pectin from E. sylvaticum on their use as components of wound healing remedies.