Methods for producing an activated pectin-containing biomass composition are provided. The method includes (A) mixing a starting pectin-containing biomass material comprising an insoluble fiber component and an insoluble protopectin component with an aqueous solution of an alcohol to form a mixture; (B) activating the starting pectin-containing biomass material to form an activated pectin-containing biomass material comprising the insoluble fiber component and a soluble pectin component by subjecting the starting pectin-containing biomass material to (i) an activating solution formed by adding acid to the mixture to adjust the pH of the mixture within the range from at or about 0.5 to at or about 2.5 and (ii) heat to a temperature greater than at or about 40 degrees Celsius; and (C) applying mechanical energy either (i) to the mixture of step A), (ii) during the activating of step B), or (iii) to the mixture of step A) and during the activating of step B); and (D) separating the activated pectin-containing biomass material from the mixture; wherein during the method the alcohol present in the mixture is at or greater than about 40 weight percent based on the total weight of the mixture. Activated pectin-containing biomass compositions are also provided.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods and systems for purifying proteins, carbohydrate rich products, and polysaccharide products from a microcrop (e.g., photosynthetic aquatic species) and compositions thereof. For example, the present disclosure relates, in some embodiments to methods and systems for extracting proteins, dry biocrude, carbohydrate-rich meal, and polysaccharide products from Lemna.

The invention relates to a method for production of a preparation from a vegetable material, said preparation being enriched in a polysaccharide with a backbone comprising rhamnogalacturonan-I cores, said method comprising the steps: mixing the vegetable material with a polar alcoholic solvent; and separating a solid residue obtained in step a) from the solvent; and mixing the solid residue obtained in step b) with a buffered aqueous solution having a pH between 7 and 8. Also provided is a preparation containing rhamnogalacturonan-I pectins that can be obtained by this method and the use of such a preparation to modulate immune response.

Processes to prepare highly functional fiber products from agricultural by-products (e.g., sugar beet pulp, orange peel, apple pulp and other pectin containing agricultural processing by-products) and their applications are disclosed. Sequential extraction of pectin from agricultural by-products produced a series of fractions with excellent oil in water emulsification and water holding capacity properties.

The invention provides a coffee pulp treatment process comprising (a) Providing coffee pulp, obtainable from a production process for producing green coffee beans from coffee cherries; (b) extracting from the coffee pulp a pectin comprising extract, wherein extraction is performed under acid conditions or alkaline conditions, to provide the pectin comprising extract; (c) enzymatic treatment of the pectin comprising extract, wherein the enzymatic treatment comprises a treatment with one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of an esterase and a reductase, to provide a enzymatically treated pectin material; and (d) extraction of polyphenol functionalized coffee pectin extract from the enzymatically treated pectin material.

The invention provides a coffee pulp treatment process comprising (a1) Providing coffee pulp, obtainable from a production process for producing green coffee beans from coffee cherries; (a2) subjecting the coffee pulp to a preservation process, (b) extracting from the coffee pulp a pectin comprising extract, wherein extraction is performed under acid conditions or alkaline conditions, to provide the pectin comprising extract; (c) enzymatic treatment of the pectin comprising extract, wherein the enzymatic treatment comprises a treatment with one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of an esterase and a reductase, to provide a enzymatically treated pectin material; and (d) extraction of polyphenol functionalized coffee pectin extract from the enzymatically treated pectin material.

Described herein are processes to produce polygalacturonic acids from pectin containing products, said process involving (a) optionally washing pectin containing products, (b) optionally injecting dry steam into pectin containing products [and maintaining a temperature of about 140 to about 160 C. under pressure at about 40 to about 60 psi for a time period of between about 0.5 to about 3 minutes, (c) optionally heating pectin containing products to above about 70 C. to about 95 C. or optionally cooling to less than about 10 C., (d) adding to said pectin containing products at least one calcium sequestering salt in an amount sufficient to provide a mixture having a pH of equal to or greater than about 8 and a total molarity of phosphate greater than a total molarity of Ca.sup.++ indigenous to said pectin containing products, (e) optionally cooling or heating after adding said at least one calcium sequestering salt, (f) storing the mixture of pectin containing products and at least one calcium sequestering salt for about 24 hours or less, (g) heating said mixture for about 15 min to about 4 hours at about 40 to about 95 C., (h) optionally adjusting the pH of said mixture to about 7 to about 8 by adding acid to said mixture, (i) optionally drying said mixture which contains polygalacturonic acids, and (j) optionally milling or grinding said mixture.

Also described herein are polygalacturonic acids produced by the above process and gels containing the polygalacturonic acids (produced by the above process) and water.

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 invention pertains to a sugar beet pectin comprising at least 12 wt % protein, based on the total weight of the sugar beet pectin.