Polysaccharides from sunflower stalk pith: Chemical, structural and functional characterization

Polysaccharides from sunflower stalk pith (SSP) were extracted by hot water and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP). Chemical analyses suggested both fractions dominated in galacturonic acids with a small amount of neutral sugars, indicating their identity as pectins. The weight average molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity for water-extractable pectin (WEP) and SHMP-extractable pectin (SEP) were 57.2 kDa, 0.48 dL/g and 23.1 kDa, 0.50 dL/g,...