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Characterization of Mandarin Peel Pectins and Application in the Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles

The valorization of agricultural and food waste as a source of bioactive compounds is an important aspect of a circular and sustainable bioeconomy, providing economic, social, and environmental benefits. In this work, pectin was extracted from mandarin peel using conventional hot acid extraction [1] with two final products – raw and purified pectin. Titrimetric methods were used for the characterization of extracted pectins [2]. The purification process resulted in a significant increase in equivalent mass (from 780 g/mol to 2018.8 g/mol), methoxyl content (from 9.1 % to 10.6 %) and degree of esterification (from 69.1 % to 86.6 %). The content of galacturonic acid was satisfactory (74.8 % in raw and 69.2 % in purified pectin) and shows that these pectins could be used as food additives, or for pharmaceutical purposes. Obtained pectin fractions were used as stabilizing agents for the green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). After dialysis, formulations were stored for 30 days at 4 °C, and zeta potential and particle size distribution were measured at different time points. Average hydrodynamic diameter decreased during storage, while zeta potential values remained relatively unchanged. The most notable decrease occurred in SeNPs stabilized with raw pectin (84.7 nm decrease in size). The use of purified pectin fractions as stabilizers resulted in smaller average diameters (< 200 nm) and improved stability, compared to SeNPs stabilized with raw pectin fractions. To conclude, mandarin peel is a valuable source of pectin which can be used for the creation of different nanoceuticals.

pectin ; selenium nanoparticles ; green synthesis

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