Extraction and physicochemical characterization of pectin from by-products of the sugar industry and its use in gluten-free pasta

Project manager: Lecturer PhD. Eng. Florina DRANCA

Mentor: Prof. PhD. Eng. Silvia MIRONEASA

The project “Extraction and physicochemical characterization of pectin from by-products of the sugar industry and its use in gluten-free pasta” is a complex study of the extraction procedure applied to obtain pectin from sugar beet flakes, the influence of the extraction conditions on the physicochemical properties of this hydrocolloid, and its potential to improve the quality of gluten-free pasta.

Currently, three main approaches can be identified in the study of the extraction and properties of pectin: (a) proposal of new by-products and agricultural waste as sources for pectin extraction, (b) assessment of the influence of the extraction techniques applied on the overall process and characteristics of the extracted pectin, and (c) evaluation of pectin applications that go beyond its traditional usage as a gelling agent, thickening agent, and stabilizer. This project subscribes to the last two approaches, as it aims to evaluate the outcome (extraction yield, physicochemical properties of pectin – galacturonic acid content, neutral monosaccharides composition, degree of methylation and acetylation, molecular weight and thermal stability) of the pretretment (drying and lyophilization) followed by conventional and non-conventional extraction techniques (microwave-assisted extraction and pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction) applied to obtain pectin from sugar beet flakes, and to investigate for the first time the use of pectin from this by-product in the composition of gluten-free pasta.

In terms of novelty, this will be the first use of sugar beet flakes resulted from sugar processing in the north-east region of Romania as pectin sources. Other elements of originality are the first use of pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain pectin from this source, and also that the project presents the first attempt at incorporating pectin from sugar beet flakes to improve the quality of gluten-free pasta.

The specific objectives of the proposed project are:

(O1) Selection of extraction conditions and investigation of the influence of extraction parameters on the outcome of the process

(O2) Optimization of the extraction conditions for conventional acid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction

(O3) Characterization of pectin extracted by the conventional and non-conventional methods from sugar beet flakes

(O4) Selection of the best gluten-free flour:pectin ratio for pasta preparation

(O5) Investigation of the influence of pectin addition on the quality parameters of gluten-free pasta

Research articles published in ISI journals:

1. Dranca, F., & Mironeasa, S. (2024). Hot-air drying vs. lyophilization of sugar beet flakes for efficient pectin recovery and influence of extraction conditions on pectin physicochemical properties. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 265(2), 131063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131063
2. Dranca, F., & Mironeasa, S. (2024). Green extraction of pectin from sugar beet flakes and its application in hydrogels and cryogels. Gels, 10(4), 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040228

Papers presented at scientific conferences:

1. Florina Dranca, Silvia Mironeasa – “Pectin extraction from sugar beet flakes: study of the pretreatment of plant material and influence of the extraction agent”, European Biotechnology Congress, 5-7 October 2022, Prague, Czech Republic.
2. Florina Dranca, Silvia Mironeasa – “Waste management in the sugar industry: study of pectin extraction from sugar beet flakes by conventional and non-conventional techniques”, RETASTE: Rethink Food Resources, Losses, and Waste, 27-29 September 2023, Athens, Greece.
3. Florina Dranca, Silvia Mironeasa – “Physicochemical properties of pectin from sugar beet flakes as affected by extraction method”, SGEM GeoConference – “Green Science for Green Life, 28 November – 2 December 2023, Vienna, Austria.
4. Florina Dranca, Silvia Mironeasa – “Development and characterization of gluten-free pasta with pectin from sugar beet flakes”, 9th Edition of the International Conference Biotechnologies, Present and Perspectives, 15 December 2023, Suceava, Romania.

Patent proposal:

Dranca, F., Mironeasa, S., Paste făinoase fără gluten de tip rigatoni cu un conţinut ridicat de fibre şi procedeu de obţinere a acestora, OSIM A 2024 00104/13.03.2024