Anil Gupta

Pectin is a heterogeneous hydrocolloid present in the primary cell wall and middle lamella in all dicotyledonous plants, more commonly in the outer fruit coat or peel as compared to the inner matrix. Presently, citrus fruits and apple fruits are the main sources for commercial extraction of pectin, but ongoing research on pectin extraction from alternate fruit sources and fruit wastes from processing industries will be of great help in waste product reduction and enhancing the production of pectin. Pectin shows multifunctional applications including in the food industry, the health and pharmaceutical sector, and in packaging regimes. Pectin is commonly utilized in the food industry as an additive in foods such as jams, jellies, low calorie foods, stabilizing acidified milk products, thickener and emulsifier. Pectin is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the preparation of medicines that reduce blood cholesterol level and cure gastrointestinal disorders, as well as in cancer treatment. Pectin also finds use in numerous other industries, such as in the preparation of edible films and coatings, paper substitutes and foams. Due to these varied uses of pectin in different applications, there is a great necessity to explore other non-conventional sources or modify existing sources to obtain pectin with desired quality attributes to some extent by rational modifications of pectin with chemical and enzymatic treatments.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the physico-chemical, nutritional and functional properties of pathernakh pear grown in Himachal Pradesh.

Dried apple pomace contains 36.8% fiber composed of water soluble and insoluble fractions, but is treated as a waste in apple processing industries. The present study was conducted to prepare fiber-enriched yoghurt by using 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% apple pomace fiber in whole milk and milk without fiber was kept as the control. All the treatments were inoculated with combined culture (1%) of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum. The yoghurts were evaluated in terms of sensory quality, pH, acidity, total solids and fiber contents. The addition of fiber in yoghurt resulted in a decrease of acidity (0.15–0.09%) and fat contents (1.65–1.59%) with increase in fiber concentration. Further, on the basis of sensory analysis, yoghurt containing 5% apple fiber was judged as the best and hence optimized for preparation of fiber-enriched acidophilus yoghurt with desirable quality and sensory attributes. The diets with high content of fiber have been reported to have a positive effect on health. The importance of food fibers has led to the development of a large and potential market for fiber-rich products and ingredients. Recently, there is a trend to find new sources of dietary fiber that can be used in the food industry. Supplementation has been used to enhance fiber content of foods. Addition of fiber in breakfast cereals, bread, cookies, cakes, yogurt, beverages and meat products has been reported with favorable qualities. The present manuscript was carried out keeping in view the positive effect of fiber on human health.