Microwave-assisted extraction of pectin from tibig fruit (Ficus nota) using sulfuric acid as solvent

ABSTRACT: Pectin, a polysaccharide widely used in the food industry, is traditionally extracted from citrus fruits and other commonly eaten fruits. However, with the increasing demand for pectin, there is a growing need to explore efficient and sustainable sources and methods of pectin extraction. This study investigated the feasibility of Ficus nota (Tibig fruit), a readily available fig species indigenous to the Philippines, as a potential source of pectin using the Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE) technique. In this study, the unripe Tibig fruits were pretreated and converted into fruit powder. Then microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis using sulfuric acid as solvent was utilized at varying power levels and times. Afterwards, the pectin crude was collected and participated using ethanol before being converted into pectin powder. Lastly, the extracted pectin was analyzed, and results from FTIR validated the successful extraction of pectin from Ficus nota. The physicochemical properties of pectin extracted under optimized conditions were characterized. The conditions resulting to the best yield were identified as 50% of microwave power and 900s (15 minutes) of irradiation time as determined from L, Taguchi DOE approach. Validation of the optimal parameters through a verification run showed a yield of 4.8125% which is reasonably close to the experimental yield of 5.6042%, resulting in a percent difference of 14.126%. This indicated that the identified optimal parameters were suitable and could reliably improve the yield of pectin extraction in controlled conditions. Furthermore, the physicochemical characterization revealed that the extracted pectin was classified as a low-methoxyl pectin with good gelling properties. Additionally, the physical and chemical properties showed that it was comparable to those of commercial pectin. The study also demonstrated that MAE is more efficient than conventional acid hydrolysis for extracting pectin. Overall, these results provide a valuable reference for research potentially leading to more efficient and sustainable pectin production processes.

Filipiniana