U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Fishman, Marshallitem
                                            Cooke, Peteritem
                                            Chau, Hoa

                                                         - *Rose*item
                                            Coffin, Daviditem
                                            Hotchkiss, Arland
  Submitted to: Biomacromolecules
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2006
                                    Publication  Date: 1/6/2007
                                    Citation: Fishman, M.L., Cooke, P.H., Chau, H.K., Coffin, D.R., Hotchkiss, A.T. 2007. Global structures of high methoxyl pectin from solution and in gels. Biomacromolecules 8,No. 2, p.573-578.Interpretive Summary: The need to increase utilization of low valued co-products derived from the processing of fruit has prompted us to investigate the structure of pectin from solution and in gels.  Pectin is a polysaccharide found in orange peels.  In this work we show the potential of a new kind of molecular imaging, i.e. atomic force microscopy, for determining the batch quality of pectin from orange peels as a food grade gelling agent.  This research should be of help to fruit growers and processors by increasing the demand and value of their by-products without increasing the cost of the basic commodity to the consumer.
                                Technical Abstract: Images of high methoxyl orange pectin deposited from solution and sugar acid gels (HMSAG) were obtained by atomic force microscopy in the Tapping Mode (TM).  For the first time, images of pectin deposited from water revealed that the transition from pectin networks to individual molecules or aggregates thereof occurred at concentrations between 6.5 ug/mL and 13.1 ug/mL.  At 6.5 ug/mL, shapes imaged included rods, segmented rods, kinked rods, rings, branched molecules and dense circular areas.  At 13.1 ug/mL, all of these shapes were integrated into networks.  These same structures were discernable in pectin high methoxyl sugar acid gels.  Thus one might consider pectin networks in water at concentrations in excess of 10ug/mL to be separate fluid precursors of networks in high methoxyl sugar acid gels.  Examination of AFM images revealed that gels with "uniform" distribution of strands and pores between strands had higher gel strengths than gels in which strands were non-uniformly distributed and were separated by large and small spaces.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov