Thailand has imported pectin worth BH 200 million a year for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Pectin is a substance extracted from fruit skins such as apple, orange and lime, classified as polysaccharide, which cannot be digested by enzymes in the intestines. Pectin functions as a water soluble dietary fiber.

     Lime, an important agricultural produce of the country, can be used for producing pectin. During the months of July and September of every year, the plants yield more fruits than the markets needed, resulting in a low price. Hence, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) has carried out a research and development project, covering from developing products from lime juice, building a machine, designing a production line for producing product made from lime juice to extracting oil from lime peels.

     The Department of Pharmacy and Natural Products, of TISTR, has recognized the importance of waste utilization by extracting “TISTR pectin” from lime peels. The specifications of this pectin are in line with the standards set by Food and Drug Administration Office (FDA).

     From the result of pharmaceutical testing, it was found that TISTR pectin could statistically significantly lower cholesterol level in the blood of white rats, including pass the safety assessment by following the testing method No. 401 of OECD Guideline for Testing of Chemicals 2001 by using rats and mice. It was found that the LD 50 value of pectin was more than 2,000 mg/kg of body weight.

     From the above success, TISTR has developed food supplement from TISTR pectin in the form of fruit salad pectin. With the said attribution, it was learnt that pectin in the food supplement product might interfere fat absorption in the small intestines, resulting in lowering cholesterol, which causes the incidence of coronary thrombosis. With the attributions of pectin, acting as a dietary fiber which cannot be digested with enzymes or gastric juice in the small intestines and being able to hold water, it helps prevent constipation and reduces the incidence of colon cancer. In the future, TISTR will further develop pectin in the form of supplementary foods.

    TISTR pectin is a natural product, researched and created from the extraction of lime peels, which are industrial wastes; and its attribution is in accordance with the imposed standards. Pectin also helps reduce the cholesterol level. Therefore, it is considered as a research work that promotes the reduction of importing pectin and adds more value to agricultural produce.

Source: TISTR Newsletter, year 8, volume 5/May 2005