OPTIMIZATION OF PECTIN EXTRACTION FROM MACAÚBA CAKE VIA ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS

The macaubeira (Acronomia aculeata) is a species native to the Americas, with a wide distribution in the Brazilian savannah. The macaúba fruit is composed of almonds, bark, pulp and endocarp and has aroused interest due to the economic potential in the production of high-value oils. The production of the oil from the pulp of the fruit generates the pulp cake as a by-product. Studies already carried out by our group have shown that this can be a potential source of pectin. Thus, the aim of this study was to optimize the extraction of pectin from the pulp cake via enzymatic hydrolysis. The extraction took place under different conditions with variations in time (30 - 90 min) and pectinase mass (0.02 - 0.06 g), using a 2² factorial design with 4 replicates at the central point. After the extraction process, pectin was separated from the extract by precipitation with ethanol and dried in an oven. The response variables used were mass yields and galacturonic acid content. The pectin yields obtained were from 5.1 to 7.2 % (w/w) and purity, measured as galacturonic acid content, from 8.7 to 13.0 % (w/w). The best conditions in terms of mass and galacturonic acid content were obtained using 0.06 g of pectinase and extraction time of 90 minutes, with a yield of 7.2 % (w/w) and 8.7 % (w/w) of galacturonic acid, and 0.04 g and 60 minutes, with a yield of 6.0 % (w/w) and 13.0 % (w/w) of galacturonic acid. These results showed that, although macaúba pulp cake is an alternative source for pectin, enzymatic extraction is not the best way to obtain it