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Functionalization and Dispersion of Carbon Nanomaterials Using an Environmentally Friendly Ultrasonicated Ozonolysis Process
Published on: May 30, 2017
Effect of ultrasonic intensity on the conformational changes in citrus pectin under ultrasonic processing
Wen-Yi Qiu1, Wu-Dan Cai1, Meng Wang1
1School of Food & Biological Engineering, Institute of Food Physical Processing, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
Abstract:
In this study, the effects of ultrasonic intensity on conformational changes in aqueous citrus pectin solution under ultrasonic processing and its possible transition mechanism were investigated. The results demonstrated that higher ultrasonic intensity (104.7 W/cm2) caused larger alterations in the molecular and conformational parameters of the semiflexible pectin (Mark-Houwink relation exponent a: 0.820, conformational parameter α: 0.607, structural parameter ρ: 2.22) in aqueous solution. Meanwhile, the semiflexible chain of pectin became more flexible (a: 0.804, α: 0.601, ρ: 1.75) at higher ultrasonic intensity in aqueous solution, as was verified by atomic force microscopy. Moreover, conformational changes in pectin from semiflexible chains to flexible chains or even flexible coils (a: 0.791, α: 0.597, ρ: 1.70) could be attributed to the decreased degree of methoxylation and neutral sugars in side chains and the destruction of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds under ultrasonic processing. Therefore, these results have important implications for understanding the ultrasonic modification of pectin.
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