Extraction and structural determination of pectin from pumkin Cucurbita moschata

Pectin is a heterogeneous complex polysaccharide found in the primary cell wall of most cells. In this work, lowmethoxyl pectin was extracted from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata). The obtained pectin was characterized by GPC FTIR and NMR spectra. The obtain results showed that structural feature of the pectin is a main chain of poly-α(1→4)- D-galacturonic acid and occasionally interrupted by α(1→2)-linked α-L-rhamnopyranose residues and branches Galp is linked to GalpA at C-2 position.