Pectins and Pectinases

Pectin extracted from suitable plant sources is used as food ingredient for its gelling, stabilizing and thickening functionalities.Pectic substances also have a great impact on the quality of fresh and processed foods particularly fruits and vegetables. Plant products, fresh, extracted or processed, constitute a large part of the human diet. As a fibre, naturally present in these food products, pectic substances fulfil a nutritional function and are increasingly of interest as a health promoting polysaccharide. Pectin is one of the major components of the cell wall of dicotyledonous plants and probably one of the most complex macromolecules in nature. This book provides an update account of the most significant state of the art research on pectin and demonstrates that significant progress has been made in recent years. The book addresses progress made in the fields of biosynthesis and health modulating activities of pectin fractions, among other things…