The present disclosure relates to polygalacturonan rhamnogalacturonan (PGRG1) compositions, as well as methods of making and methods of using said compositions in medicinally useful and pharmaceutically useful forms. Specifically, the present disclosure provides purified PGRG1 compositions isolated from roots of the Astragalus genus of plants, and more particularly from the species Astragalus membranaceus, as well as PGRG1 compositions having a weight average molecular weight of at least 40 kiloDaltons (kDa).

Methods for pectin activation and pectin extraction, with high quality and efficiency, from plant-based materials that contain pectin are disclosed. A pectin-containing biomass material is first treated in hot, acidic aqueous alcohol with the objective of converting water-insoluble pectin into water-soluble pectin; the material after treatment is often referred to as an activated pectin-containing biomass material. Then, the activated pectin-containing biomass material is contacted with an aqueous media under controlled pH conditions to extract a water-soluble pectin component in high yield and pectin quality.

The present invention relates to the use of an activated pectin-containing apple fiber for preparing products in the food or non-food area. The invention also relates to products containing the activated pectin-containing apple fiber.

The present invention relates to the use of an activatable, de-esterified fruit fiber for preparing products in the food or non-food area. The invention also relates to products containing the activatable, de-esterified fruit fiber.

An okra polygalacturonic acid having a uric acid-lowering effect, a method for preparing the same, and use of the same are disclosed. The method includes: smashing an okra, lixiviating the okra in ethanol, and filtering to obtain a filtrate and a residue; removing the filtrate, and lixiviating the residue in heated water to obtain an extraction solution; adding the ethanol into the extraction solution to precipitate okra crude polysaccharides; purifying the okra crude polysaccharides over an anion exchange column by eluting with water or a NaCl solution, a Tris-HCl solution or a NaCl-containing Tris-HCl solution, or a phosphate solution or a NaCl-containing phosphate solution, and collecting a fraction eluted by the NaCl solution, the NaCl-containing Tris-HCl solution, or the NaCl-containing phosphate solution; and concentrating, dialyzing and drying the fraction to obtain the okra polygalacturonic acid.

The present invention relates to citrus pectin characterized by a low degree of methyl esterification yet a high intrinsic viscosity, a process for producing pectin using citrus peel and use of an enzyme endogenous to citrus peel to produce pectin.

The present invention relates to the use of an activatable, de-esterified, pectin-converted fruit fiber for preparing products in the food or non-food area. The invention also relates to products containing the activatable, de-esterified, pectin-converted fruit fiber.

The present invention relates to citrus pectin characterized by a low degree of methyl esterification yet a high intrinsic viscosity, a process for producing pectin using citrus peel and use of an enzyme endogenous to citrus peel to produce pectin.

An okra polygalacturonic acid having a uric acid-lowering effect, a method for preparing the same, and use of the same are disclosed. The method includes: smashing an okra, lixiviating the okra in ethanol, and filtering to obtain a filtrate and a residue; removing the filtrate, and lixiviating the residue in heated water to obtain an extraction solution; adding the ethanol into the extraction solution to precipitate okra crude polysaccharides; purifying the okra crude polysaccharides over an anion exchange column by eluting with water or a NaCl solution, a Tris-HCl solution or a NaCl-containing Tris-HCl solution, or a phosphate solution or a NaCl-containing phosphate solution, and collecting a fraction eluted by the NaCl solution, the NaCl-containing Tris-HCl solution, or the NaCl-containing phosphate solution; and concentrating, dialyzing and drying the fraction to obtain the okra polygalacturonic acid.

The present disclosure discloses a method for extracting a RG-I-rich pectic polysaccharide. The method comprises the following steps: mixing and stirring a citrus fruit peel powder and a dilute hydrochloric acid solution at a low temperature to destroy cell walls of citrus peels, filtering, and then mixing the retentate with a sodium hydroxide solution for low temperature extraction, adding ethanol to the solution obtained by filtering to precipitate, and washing the obtained polysaccharide with ethanol and drying to obtain the above pectic polysaccharide. Compared with the traditional extraction method, this method reduces the hydrolysis of pectin side chains by controlling the extraction temperature, and the extracted pectic polysaccharide is rich in RG-I domain and has higher biological activity such as cancer and cardiovascular disease prevention. Energy can be greatly saved because of the low extraction temperature. The extracted pectic polysaccharide can be potentially used as functional food ingredients.