Studies on Physicochemical Properties and Elemental Analysis of Citron and Pomelo Fruits Peels Pectins

Abstract

This research work is aimed to study the physicochemical properties and elemental analysis of citron and pomelo fruits peels pectins which have been extracted. In the present work, determination of some physicochemical parameters such as color, moisture content, ash content, setting time, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, anhydrouronic acid (AUA), degree of esterification (DE), molecular weight and elemental analysis of the prepared pectins have been performed. The color of citron peel pectin and pomelo peels pectins were determined by eye test. Moisture contents were determined by oven drying method, ash contents were determined by the method used in the food analysis, setting times were determined by a simple method of Owens, equivalent weights, methoxyl contents, anhydrouronic acids (AUA) and degree of esterifications (DE) were determined by titrimetric method, molecular weights were determined by viscometric method and elemental analysis were determined by Energy Disperse X-ray Fluoresce (ED XRF) analysis. Physicochemical properties of the citron and pomelo peels pectins were found to be white-yellow and brown-yellow colors, 7.96% and 2.15 % of moisture contents, 1.07 % and 5.72 % of ash contents, 5 minutes and 12 minutes of  setting times, 2380 and 2500 of equivalent weights, 1.86 % and 2.29 % of methoxyl contents, 17.95 % and 20.06 % of anhydrouraonic acid contents and 58.83 % and 64.92 % of degree of estrifications and 6.61´ 104and 5.62 × 104 Da of molecular weights respectively. In the citron pectin, the relative abundance of Ca, K, Fe, Cu, Sr 20.06 % of anhydrouraonic acid contents and 58.83 % and 64.92 % of degree of estrifications and 6.61´ 104and 5.62 × 104 Da of molecular weights respectively. In the citron pectin, the relative abundance of Ca, K, Fe, Cu, Sr and Zn has been found to be 61.87 %, 22.67 %, 7.94 %, 3.11 %, 2.29 % and 2.13%, respectively (determined by ED XRF technique). Whereas in the pomelo pectin, the relative abundance of Ca, K, Fe, Cu, Sr and Zn has been found to be 66.32 % 11.82 %, 11.73 %, 2.75 %, 2.32 % and 5.06 %, respectively