Flash extraction of pectin from orange albedo by steam injection.

Pectin was acid extracted from orange albedo by steam injection heating under pressure. Extraction times ranged from 2 to 6 min at a pressure of about 15 psi. Solubilized pectin was characterized by HPSEC with online light scattering and viscosity detection. Molar mass (M), radius of gyration (R(g)), and intrinsic viscosity ([eta]) all decreased with increasing extraction time when heating temperature was 120 degrees C. At heating times of 3 min, M(w) ranged from 4.9 to 4.5 x 10(5), R(gz) was about 44 nm, and [eta](w) ranged from 8.4 to 7.9 dL/g. Chromatography revealed that solubilized pectin distributions were bimodal in nature at 3 min extraction time and trimodal when the extraction time was 6 min. Scaling law exponents obtained for the highest molar mass fractions were consistent with a very compact spherical structure. For the intermediate fraction, scaling law exponents were consistent with a less compact spherical structure comparable to a random coil. In the case of the low molar mass fractions, scaling law exponents were consistent with a structure more asymmetric in shape. These results are consistent with earlier results which indicated that pectin distributions were mixtures of two or more of the following due to disaggregation during extraction: spherical aggregates, hydrogen bonded network structures, and partially or fully disaggregated components of network structures which could include branched structures, rods, segmented rods, and kinked rods.