Hot-Water Hemicellulose Extraction from Fruit Processing Residues.

Hemicelluloses are an abundant biopolymer resource with interesting properties for applications in coatings and composite materials. The objective of this investigation was to identify variables of industrially relevant extraction processes that increase the purity of hemicelluloses extracted from fruit residues. Our main finding is that extraction with subcritical water, followed by precipitation with alcohol, can be adjusted to yield products with a purity of at least 90%. Purity was determined based on the total concentration of glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and mannose after hydrolysis with sulfuric acid. In the first experimental design (DoE methodology), the effects of extraction temperature (95-155 °C) and time (20-100 min) on yield and purity were studied. A clear trade-off between yield and purity was observed at high temperatures, indicating the selective removal of impurities. In the second experimental design, the influence of extract pH and alcohol concentration on yield and purity was investigated for the raw extract and a concentrate of this extract with 1/6 of the original volume. The concentrate was obtained by ultrafiltration through ceramic hollow-fiber membranes. The highest purity of 96% was achieved with the concentrate after precipitating with 70% alcohol. Key factors for the resource efficiency of the overall process are addressed. It is concluded that extraction with subcritical water and ultrafiltration are promising technologies for producing hemicelluloses from fruit residues for material applications.

Does the Food Ingredient Pectin Provide a Risk for Patients Allergic to Non-Specific Lipid-Transfer Proteins?

Pectin, a dietary fiber, is a polysaccharide that is widely used in food industry as a gelling agent. In addition, prebiotic and beneficial immunomodulatory effects of pectin have been demonstrated, leading to increased importance as food supplement. However, as cases of anaphylactic reactions after consumption of pectin-supplemented foods have been reported, the present study aims to evaluate the allergy risk of pectin. This is of particular importance since most of the pectin used in the food industry is extracted from citrus or apple pomace. Both contain several allergens such as non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs), known to induce severe allergic reactions, which could impair the use of pectins in nsLTP allergic patients. Therefore, the present study for the first time was performed to analyze residual nsLTP content in two commercial pectins using different detection methods. Results showed the analytical sensitivity was diminished by the pectin structure. Finally, spiking of pectin with allergenic peach nsLTP Pru p 3 led to the conclusion that the potential residual allergen content in both pectins is below the threshold to induce anaphylactic reactions in nsLTP-allergic patients. This data suggests that consumption of the investigated commercial pectin products provides no risk for inducing severe reactions in nsLTP-allergic patients.

Processes involving selective precipitation for the recovery of purified pectins from mango peel.

Three methods for the recovery of purified pectins from directly dried mango peel were developed, using selective precipitation of mango pectin in propan-2-ol (IPA) of adequate volume concentrations for purification. Yields, composition, macromolecular and gelling properties of the resultant pectins were compared. Effluent analyses proved postextractive removal of fruit exudate arabinogalactans. The recovery processes involved (A) washing of raw-pectin powder in IPA of defined volume concentration, (B) fractional alcoholic precipitation of dissolved raw pectin, or (C) selective pectin precipitation from the hot-acid extract of mango peel in adequately diluted IPA. High galacturonic acid contents (≥ 721g/kg) and intrinsic viscosities (≥ 320mL/g) enabled ∼2.2-fold gelling capacities compared to raw mango pectin, which resulted from the standard procedure mimicking industrial pectin recovery from established sources. Removal of the predominant impurities (coextractable exudate arabinogalactans, ash) diminished the yields to ∼49% of the raw-pectin yield. Technical feasibility of the proposed procedures was discussed.

Efficient synthesis of building blocks for branched rhamnogalacturonan I fragments.

Starting from allyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (3), allyl (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-ß-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-2-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (5) was synthesized under Helferich conditions. Module 5 was converted to 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-ß-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-2-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl bromide (8) which was then coupled with methyl (allyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-ß-d-galactopyranosid)uronate (11) to provide methyl (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-ß-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-(2-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1→4)-(allyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-ß-d-galactopyranosid)uronate (14). Alternatively, module 5 was transformed into allyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-ß-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-3-O-benzyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (9) suitable as an acceptor for the glycosylation with methyl 4-O-acetyl-2,3-di-O-benzyl-α/ß-d-galactopyranosyluronate N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidate (13) to yield allyl (methyl 4-O-acetyl-2,3-di-O-benzyl-α-d-galactopyranosyluronate)-(1→2)-[2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-ß-d-galactopyranosyl]-(1→4)-3-O-benzyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (15). Both trisaccharides modules are suitable for the synthesis of branched pectin fragments.

Synthesis of rhamnogalacturonan I fragments by a modular design principle.

The improved syntheses of methyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (12) and 1,2-di-O-acetyl-3-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranose (15), which were used as glycosyl acceptor and donor, respectively, are described. Glycosylation of the O-4 position of both rhamnose derivatives with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl bromide (26) provided disaccharides 27 and 29. After partial deprotection of 27 and coupling of the resulting 28 with disaccharide 19, tetrasaccharide 31 was obtained. Furthermore, transforming of 29 into the corresponding bromide 30 and coupling with galacturonates 16 and 32 provided trisaccharides 33 and 34, respectively, which could be regarded as building blocks of ramified rhamnogalacturonan fragments. The preparation of tetra- (21) and hexasaccharide (25) of rhamnogalacturonan I is reported to demonstrate the feasibility of the synthesis of larger pectin fragments using the modular design principle with this type of building blocks.