Utilization of food processing wastes of eggplant as a high potential pectin source and characterization of extracted pectin.

In the present study, the various properties of pectin extracted using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) from eggplant peel and eggplant calyx (as food processing wastes of eggplant) were compared with each other. The eggplant peel pectin (EPP) exhibited higher extraction yield (29.17%) than eggplant calyx pectin (ECP; 18.36%). Both of EPP and ECP were high in methoxyl and rich in galacturonic acid. HPLC analysis showed that EPP was high in HG (homogalacturonan) (58.6%), while ECP was high in RG-I (rhamnogalacturonan-I) (44.9%). Also, higher phenolic contents were observed for EPP in comparing with ECP. Approximately in all of the functionalities (WHC (water holding capacity) and OHC (oil holding capacity), emulsifying and foaming properties, and antioxidant activity), EPP showed higher value rather than ECP. 1H NMR (hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance), FT-IR (Fourier transform-infrared) and XRD (x-ray diffraction) spectra confirmed the presence of high methylated crystalline pectin in both EPP and ECP.