Obtención de pectina a partir de la flor de jamaica (hibiscus sabdariffa) para su uso como gelificante en los alimentos.

Abstract

Pectin is a food additive that, due to its functionality, is used in the production of different food products and is mainly obtained from citrus fruits and apples. The objective of this titration work was the extraction of pectin using, as an alternative source, the Jamaican flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa). This process was carried out by applying 2 methods of obtaining: the flower concentrate and acid hydrolysis, in which the yields and the respective gelling power were evaluated, which include the equivalent weight (PE), methoxyl (ME), degree of esterification (GE), galacturonic acid (AG), humidity (H) and ash (CE). As a result, a higher pectin yield was obtained with the acid hydrolysis method, being 38.56% and 10% for the flower concentrate. The results of the gelling power for the pectin obtained by acid hydrolysis were: (PE) 111.92 mg/meq, (ME) 4,74 %, (GE) 13,02 %, (AG) 35,19 %, (% H) 9,52 % and (% EC) 3,38 %, and for the flower concentrate: (PE) 640,23 mg/meq, (ME) 11,88 %, (GE) 68,40 %, AG 35,19 %, (% H) 1,018 % and (% CE) 9,64 %. The pectin that was extracted from the Jamaica flower through acid hydrolysis presented a higher yield and was categorized as «low methoxyl pectin»; The pectin extracted by the flower concentrate was categorized as «high methoxyl pectin», this is because the degree of esterification of the pectin from the Jamaica flower concentrate is higher.