Extraction and Characterization of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels Fruit Pectin Based on Deep Eutectic Solvent

Pectin derived from the fruit of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels, commonly known as Wampee, possesses diverse bioactivities and holds significant potential for applications in food products. To broaden Wampee's application range, deep eutectic solvent (DES) was optimized for pectin extraction using response surface methodology. The fundamental and functional properties of DES-extracted pectin (D-CP) were compared to water-extracted pectin (W-CP). Extracted under the optimal extraction conditions (oxalic acid:choline chloride ratio was 1:1, reagent content was 10.2% (w/v), extraction time was 154 min, temperature was 82.5°C, and liquid: solid was 10.0 mL/g), D-CP was identified as Rhamnogalacturonan-dominated pectin. D-CP's molecular weight (129 kDa) and degree of esterification (61.05%) were lower than those of W-CP. However, D-CP exhibited a superior yield (18.09%) and enhanced functional properties, including higher purity, improved emulsifying stability and activity, better foaming capacity, and stronger foam stability. Additionally, D-CP demonstrated excellent solubility alongside notable antioxidant activities. Overall, these advanced properties highlight D-CP's promising potential for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries, with DES proving to be an effective solvent for efficient extraction of bioactive pectin from Wampee.