Ultrasound assisted pectic polysaccharide extraction and its characterization from waste heads of Helianthus annus

The main aim of this current work is to extract pectin from waste heads of Helianthus annus by ultrasound and optimize the process variables (ultrasound power (USP), pH, time of sonication (TS) and ratio of solid to liquid (RSL) on maximal recovery of pectin using central composite statistical experimental design. In addition to that, extracted pectin at optimal condition was characterized and compared with commercial pectin. The optimal extraction process condition was USP of 375 w, pH of 3.2, TS of 32 min and RSL of 1:15 g/ml. Mean experimental pectin yield of 8.89 ± 0.024% was well accord with predicted pectin yield (8.91%). Analysis of chemical composition and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of extracted pectin did not show any significant difference with commercial pectin. XRD analysis illustrated a similar crystalline profile in both extracted and commercial pectin. Morphological analysis was performed on fresh and extracted samples using scanning electron microscopy.