Chemical Investigation on the Polysaccharides Present in the Mesocarp of Chalkumra (Benincasa hispida) Fruit

Abstract

The mesocarp tissues of kumra (Benincasa hispida) fruit were
homogenized and an alcohol-insoluble residue (BAIR) was isolated.
BAIR was rich in carbohydrate (745.4 mg g^-1), and contains large
amount of pectic substances. The extractable juice (EJ) amounts to
65.9% of the fresh mesocarp tissue and contains, inter alia, pectic
polymers, proteins and arabinose. The polysaccharide present in the
juice was isolated and characterized by its sugar composition,
molecular weight distribution and infrared spectra. It contained
30.6% of galacturonic acid and 69.4% of neutral sugars, mainly
galactose, arabinose and glucose. On size exclusion chromatography
this pectic substacnce shows almost an asymmetrical peak.