Microwave-assisted acid extraction of high-methoxyl kinnow (Citrus reticulata) peels pectin: Process, techno-functionality, characterization and life cycle assessment

The present study assessed the efficacy of kinnow peel pectin-acetic acid extraction using microwave heating at 110 °C, pH 2.2 for 10 min with a 1:2 ratio supernatant to ethanol for higher yield. The kinnow peel was freeze dried and grinded to fine powder for pectin extraction. The microwave extracted (ME) kinnow pectin showed 833 mg equivalent weight, 7.44 % methoxyl content, 66.67 % degree of esterification, 63.15 % galacturonic acid content and evinced higher purity than commercial citrus pectin. ME kinnow pectin exhibited shear thinning behaviour while higher apparent viscosity (Pa. s) at 20 % concentration. The ME kinnow pectin showed characteristic functional groups and a less crystalline structure as deduced from FT-IR, SEM and XRD respectively, and a higher thermal decomposition analysed from TGA. Further, life cycle assessment (LCA) predicted that the ethanol and acetic acid were major contributors toward climate change in this study. ME kinnow pectin has the potential to be used as a commercial pectin in various food applications.