Obtaining pectin and its use in the production of jam from cocoa (Theobroma cacao l.)

Abstract

The unused residues of cocoa exploitation are caused by a variety of factors, such as the lack of economic and technical resources, including low academic standards and small innovations, for this reason, the present research project aimed to obtain pectin for the production of jam from cocoa (Theobroma Cacao L.). Pectin extraction was carried out in an acid medium using citric acid with extraction agent and ethyl alcohol at 96° with precipitation agent. For the extraction, three different pH 3, 4 and 5 were used at a temperature between 85°C and 90°C, establishing a time of 60 minutes as a fixed variable. There were 3 repetitions for each pH. The best result for obtaining pectin was pH 3, reporting a yield of 6.57%, ash 8%, methoxyl 10.75%, AAG 72.75% and degree of esterification 41.30%, allowing the evaluation of its potential to be used in the food industry and adding value to the cocoa production chain. With the extracted pectin, a jam was made from the mucilage and placenta, where it was obtained that sample 2 with its formulation of 160 g of mucilage, 40 g of placenta, 1 g of pectin, 0.05 g of preservative, 70 g of sucrose and 0.3 g of citric acid was the acceptable sample, obtaining as a result a pH of 3.41, soluble solids of 65 °Brix, density of 1215 kg/m3 and in terms of microbiological analysis, the sample has a count of molds and yeasts within of the ranges established in the standard, giving a product free of bacterial species and suitable for human consumption.