Effect of a commercial pectinmethylesterase on tomato paste consistency

Background: Consistency is one of the main traits that define commercial quality and price of tomato paste. Pectins are partially responsible for consistency in tomato paste, therefore enzymatic pectin modification could be used to increase paste consistency. Results: This work reports the effects of a commercial enzymatic preparation of pectin-methyl-esterase (PME) (NovoShape™) on tomato paste consistency taking into account variables as enzyme/substrate ratio (0,1 percent w/w - 1 percent w/w), reaction time (0 hr - 3 hrs) and reaction temperature (40ºC-60ºC). The results indicate that NovoShape™ increased consistency when reaction temperature ranged from 40 to 50ºC with an enzyme/substrate ratio of 0.5 to 1 (l PME solution/g tomato paste on dry base). On the other hand, enzymatic treatment was not effective at 60ºC with an enzyme/substrate ratio of 0.1 percent. Conclusions: Based on these results, addition of NovoShape™ is a good technological approach to increase tomato paste consistency.

Aceclofenac delivery by microencapsulation using LBL self-assembly for delayed release

Colonic targeting has gained increasing interest over the past years, not just for the transport of drugs for the treatment of local diseases associated with the colon but also for its potential for transporting peptides and proteins, particularly low molecular weight peptide drugs. Without protection, such peptide drugs are usually digested within the gastric and small intestinal sections. In the present work Layer-By-Layer [LBL] self-assembly was utilized to make Aceclofenac single bilayer microcapsules produced by sequential adsorption of positively charged chitosan and negatively charged Pectin on the external surface of negatively charged Aceclofenac microcrystals. Taguchi approach was applied to determine the best concurrence of composition factors that is concentration of chitosan, pectin, centrifugation speed and incubation time. The microcapsules were characterized for encapsulation efficiency, particle size, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy and in-vitro release kinetics. Surface electric potential of Aceclofenac microcrystals was found to be negative with zeta potential -1.39 mV, in acetate buffer of pH 4. The primary and the secondary deposit layer of chitosan and pectin was found to have a positive and negative charge with zeta potential of +5.57 mV and -22.8 mV respectively. The sequential changing of surface zeta potential after each deposition is a satisfactory indication of the LBL self-assembly of the oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. The average size and encapsulation efficiency of the optimized single bilayer microcapsules [F5] was found to be 20microm and 63.83%, respectively. The ex-vivo percentage cumulative drug release of [F5] in Phosphate buffer pH 6.8 containing 2-4% w/v colonic fecal matter of male albino rat was found to be 98.40%. The optimized batch of microcapsules showed first order release kinetics [R[2]= 0.950] in presence of colonic fecal matter

Novel multi-layer APPPA microcapsules for oral delivery: preparation condition, stability and permeability.

Oral therapy utilizing cell microencapsulation has shown promise in the treatment of many diseases. Current obtainable microcapsule membranes, however, show inadequate stability in the gastrointestinal (GI) environment, thus restricting the general application of live cells for oral therapy. To overcome this limitation, we have previously developed a novel multi-layer alginate/poly-L-lysine/pectin/poly-L-lysine/alginate microcapsule (APPPA) with demonstrated improvement on membrane stability over the frequently reported alginate/poly-L-lysine/alginate (APA) microcapsules. In this study, we further examined the effects of preparation conditions on microcapsule formation, and assessed the membrane strength and GI stability. Results showed that increased membrane strength of the APPPA microcapsules was attained by using pectin with low degree of esterification as the mid-layer material, saline as the solvent for the preparation solutions and washing medium, and 0.1 M CaCl2 as the gelling solution for alginate cores. Resistance of this membrane to the simulated GI fluids was also investigated. Permeability of and release profiles from the APPPA microcapsules were found comparable to the APA microcapsules. These findings suggested that the multi-layer APPPA microcapsule formulation may have potential in oral delivery of proteins, live bacterial cells and other biomedical applications.

Viscosity of gums in vitro and their ability to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia in normal subjects

Experiments were carried out in vitro with three viscous polysaccharides (guar gum, pectin, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) of similar initial viscosity submitted to conditions that mimic events occurring in the stomach and duodenum, and their viscosity in these situations was compared to their actions on postprandial hyperglycemia in normal human subjects. Guar gum showed greater viscosity than the other gums during acidification and/or alkalinization and also showed larger effects on plasma glucose levels (35 per cent reduction in maximum rise in plasma glucose) and on the total area under the curve of plasma glucose (control: 20,314 + 1007 mg dl(-1) 180 min (-1) vs guar gum: 18,277 + 699 mg dl(-1) 180 min (-1), P<0.01). Pectin, which showed a marked reduction in viscosity at 37 degrees Celsius and after events mimicking those that occur in the stomach and duodenum, did not have a significant effect on postprandial hyperglycemia. The performance of viscosity and the glycemia response to CMC were at an intermediate level between guar gum and pectin. In conclusion, these data suggest that temperature, the process of acidification, alkalinization and exposure to intestinal ions induce different viscosity changes in gums having similar initial viscosity, establishing a direct relationship between a minor decrease of gum viscosity in vitro and a reduction of postprandial hyperglycemia.

Revisión: extracción microbiológica y enzimática de pectina / Microbial and enzymatic extraction of pectin: a review

A nivel mundial se producen grandes cantidades de residuos agroindustriales ricos en polisacáridos tales como las sustancias pécticas. Algunos de estos desechos se emplean en la producción de pectina. Actualmente, la pectina se extrae industrialmente por métodos fisicoquímicos, pero recientemente se han desarrollado métodos biológicos alternativos. En la presente revisión se describen las principales características de las sustancias pécticas y de las enzimas pécticas. Se comenta el método tradicional de extracción por vía química de pectina para luego discutir y comparar detalladamente los métodos de extracción enzimático y microbiológico de pectina

Obtención y caracterización de pectina a partir de desechos industriales del mango (cascara) / Obtention and characterization of pectina starting from industrial residues of the mango fruit (peel)

Aprovechando los desechos industriales del procedimiento del mango común (Manguifera indica) se extrajo la pectina a nivel de planta piloto a diferentes valores de pH(3,2;3,4;3,6) y tiempos de hidrólisis (45;60,75 min). Luego se determinó su calidad por determinaciones de cenizas, ácidez libre, peso equivalente, grado de esterificación, viscosidad y comportamiento reológico, contenido de AUA, calcio, magnesio, hierro y grado de gelificación. Las mejores condiciones de acuerdo a la calidad fueron pH de 3,2 y 75 minutos de hidrólisis. Este trabajo fue patrocinado económicamente por la OEA Y Colciencias

Aryl beta-galactosidase from Sclerotium rolfsii: physiological and biochemical studies.

Production of beta-galactosidase by Sclerotium rolfsii NCIM 1084 was studied under submerged fermentation conditions. The enzyme was produced extracellularly and constitutively on glucose. The enzyme production was enhanced when galactose, raffinose, cellobiose, sucrose, xylose, maltose, cellulose and pectin were used as carbon sources. Cellulose and diammonium hydrogen phosphate were best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Surfactants such as Sag, Paraffin oil, Tween 20 and Tween 80 increased the enzyme production. Maximum yield of beta-galactosidase obtained was 3.8-4.2 nkat/ml. The optimum pH, optimum temperature and molecular weight of the beta-glactosidase were 2.7, 60 degrees C and 2,21,000 daltons, respectively. The enzyme is an aryl beta-glactosidase and did not hydrolyse lactose. The Km value for o-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactoside was 3.7 mM. Galactose and 2-mercaptoethanol inhibited the enzyme.

Conformation of alginate and pectate chains monitored by the binding of the dye stains-all.

The carbocyanine dye Stains-all displays spectral colour shifts or metachromasia upon binding to proteins, polysaccharides and other anionic substrates. The conformational status of the binding region of the substrate appears to govern the metachromatic features of the bound Stains-all. We have used this property to derive information about the conformational differences between the two anionic polysaccharides alginate and pectate. The stronger induction of circular dichroism in the 500 nm region of the dye by pectate is indicative of a greater extent of helical order in this polymer in solution than in the alginate or perhaps even hyaluronate chains.