Structure, source, extraction, and application of pectin: a review

In recent years, pectin has gained increased importance because of its biodegradability feature. Pectin is a family of galacturonic acid-rich polysaccharides including homogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan I, and the substituted galacturonans rhamnogalacturonan II, and xylogalacturonan. Although present in the cell walls of most plants, apple pomace and orange peel are the two major sources of commercial pectin. In the food industry, pectin is used in jams, jellies and more recently in dietetic drink as a sugar replacer. In this review, structure and sources of pectin, conventional and nonconventional pectin extraction techniques and its application in food industry are briefly described.