Production of Pectin from Citrus Residues: Process Alternatives and Insights on Its Integration under the Biorefinery Concept

Abstract

This chapter describes the pectin production process from citrus residues. It discusses the importance of essential oils removal before processing through steam distillation, hydrodistillation, or solvent extraction. Also, it presents different extraction methods (acid hydrolysis, microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis, and hydrodistillation) that have been employed and different solvents that can be used for its purification. Since all these processing parameters can affect the final pectin yield and quality, a discussion is made on which processing options and conditions could be used based on recently reported data. The best operational conditions based on the percentages of pectin recovery and their relationship with quality parameters, such as the galacturonic acid content and degree of esterification are presented. Finally, a discussion is made regarding the opportunities for its integration under the biorefinery concept that could help to enhance several economic and environmental aspects of the process.