EFFECT OF CATIONS ON HEAT DEGRADATION OF CHELATOR-SOLUBLE CARROT PECTIN

The effects of monovalent salts, NaCl, KCl, and NH4Cl, and divalent sa lts, ZnCl2, CaCl2, SrCl2, CdCl2, and MgCl2, on heat degradation of pec tin at pH 6.1 were examined. The beta-eliminative degradation of extra cted carrot pectin increased as cation concentration in the pectin sol ution was raised. At the same level of pectin methoxyl content- divale nt cations promoted more depolymerization during the heating of pectin than did monovalent cations. The enhancement effect of cations on pec tin degradation was greater for low-methoxyl pectin than for high-meth oxyl pectin. The enhancement effect of cations increased in the order Zn++ > Ca++ > Cd++ almost-equal-to Sr++ > Mg++ almost-equal-to Na+ alm ost-equal-to K+ > NH4+.