Study of chemical characteristics, gelation properties and biological application of calcium pectate prepared using apple or citrus pectin

The most notable and unique property of pectin is the ability to form gel; thus, many biological applications of pectin are based on its gelation properties. Pectin isolated from different plant cell walls may differ in molecular structure and distribution pattern, which may result in different gelling and function properties. In this work, we investigated the chemical characteristics, gelation properties, and biological application of calcium pectate (CaP) prepared using apple (AP) or citrus pectin (CP). These two types of pectins exhibited similar molecular parameters and glycosidic bone structure; however, there was a difference in the composition proportion of single monosaccharide. In addition, it was found that it was relatively easier to form CaP beads with CP compared with AP. Moreover, CP exhibited a higher binding capability with Ca2+. The morphological study suggests that CP-CaP beads have a rough wrinkle structure on the surface, which might benefit mass transfer and cell proliferation. Moreover, although there are some differences in the viability and proliferation of cells encapsulated in the AP-CaP and CP-CaP beads, both can be used for cell encapsulation.