Ohmic Heating Technology for the Extraction of Chelating Soluble Pectin from Red Prickly Pear (Opuntia lasiacantha P.) Peel Biomass

Using waste such as prickly pear (Opuntia lasiacantha P.) peel to obtain value-added compounds such as pectin is possible with emerging technologies. This study used the Taguchi optimization model to maximize the extraction of chelating-soluble pectin (CSP) through an ohmic heating (OH) process. The maximum pectin yield obtained was 3.32% under the best processing conditions, and the galacturonic acid content was 726.26 mg/g, as well as a range of pectin with a low degree of esterification. The electric field and sodium hexametaphosphate concentration significantly affected the quality and yield of CSP. Additionally, the flow of electrical current during pectin extraction was governed by the concentration of added sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), which acted as an electrolyte and chelating agent for CSP. The use of OH in the recovery of CSP from red prickly pear with potential application and care of the proportions of GalA and %yield is presented as an effective option for the recovery of value-added additives from agro-industrial waste.