research article chemical composition, functional...

Research ArticleChemical Composition Functional Properties and Effect ofInulin from Tunisian Agave americana L Leaves on TexturalQualities of Pectin Gel

Mohamed Ali Bouaziz Rabaa Rassaoui and Souhail Besbes

Ecole Nationale drsquoIngenieurs de Sfax Laboratoire Analyses Alimentaires Route de Soukra 3038 Sfax Tunisia

Correspondence should be addressed to Mohamed Ali Bouaziz medalibouazizyahoofr and Souhail Besbes besbessvoilafr

Received 30 May 2013 Accepted 29 October 2013 Published 23 January 2014

Academic Editor Hamadi Attia

Copyright copy 2014 Mohamed Ali Bouaziz et al This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons AttributionLicense which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properlycited

In this study the chemical composition and functional properties of Agave americana L (AA) leaves were determined The Agaveleaves powder had a high amount of total dietary fiber (3840) total sugars (4583) and protein (3533) with a relatively lowcontent in ash (594) and lipid (203)TheAgave leaves were exhibited with potential food applicationTheAgave inulin showeda significant difference compared with the commercial inulin as for aw (0275 against 0282) pH (553 against 598) ash (289against 119) protein (346 against 158) water holding capacity (242 against 159) solubility (73 gL against 113 gL) andemulsion capacity (1448 against 2142) respectively The textural properties of Agave inulin-pectin mixed gels were examinedusing instrumental Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) Firmness of the prepared Agave inulin-pectin mixed gels was lower than thepectin gel (03554N against 57238N resp)This reduction of firmness showed a synergetic effect between pectin and inulinTheseresults suggested a positive interaction between Agave inulin and pectin to decrease the firmness of mixed gels and open a goodalternative to obtain value added products from this resource

1 Introduction

Agave is usually thrived in semiarid regions such as MexicoAustralia and Africa Commonly grown species includeAgave americana L Agave attenuata and Agave tequilanaDifferent from other Agave species AA L has a large aspar-agus-like flower stalk but no pinas Because of no pinas (areservoir of fructans) the AA is commercially less valuablefor the production of alcoholic beverages compared to otherAgave species such as Agave tequilana and Agave attenuatealthough its leaves can be used for pulque (a beer-like drink)production Agave is the biggest genus that identifies a groupof desert plants belonging to the monocotyledonous familycalled Agaveceae [1] This genus is characterized by spinyleaves yielding various types of fibers and composed of wildplants that do not need tender care and are traditionallyused as source of fibers The North American AA plant is aspecies belonging to such a genus which is also flourishing inSouth of Africa as well as theMediterranean area [2] Various

species ofAgave are used in the traditional medicine either asmedicinal plants or as good anti-inflammatory agents [3 4]Uribe and Saldivar [5] confirmed the anticancerogenic andantioxidant properties of theAgave syrupThis plant has beenshown to have both antibacterial and antifungal properties[6] Moreover the leaf of AA base contains up to 16 offructans Pina and leaf base can be used for the commercialproduction of fructans and long-chain inulin which can beused as vaccine adjuvant in the pharmaceutical industry [7]This Agave plant is native to Mexico and other parts of theCaribbean area [8 9] Plants were taken from there to EuropeAfrica and the Far-East by the Spanish and Portuguesewhere they naturalized rapidly especially in the high aridregions around the shores of the Mediterranean [10]

In Tunisia the AA is the most abundant variety of Agave[11] This variety is characterized by the fact that it is a muchvoluminous plant with long fleshy rigid hard-surfiguredand lanceolate leaves growing directly out from the centralstalk to form a dense rosette Its floral stalk sometimes

Hindawi Publishing CorporationJournal of ChemistryVolume 2014 Article ID 758697 11 pageshttpdxdoiorg1011552014758697

2 Journal of Chemistry

termed the trunk can reach 10 to 20m of length Evaluationof AA as a source of fiber was launched recently in Tunisiawhere fibers are extracted traditionally and used for makingtwines and ropes [12] The AA was much used by Tunisiansfor its fibers when fibers extracted by simple immersion inseawater were used tomake ropes and twines for agriculturalmarine purposes and known for its wealth of structuralinsoluble polysaccharides [13] and soluble polysaccharides[14] Thus it would be wise to valorise any noble fractionsof AA

On the other hand inulin is the second polysaccharidereserve most abundant after starch It is the main reservecarbohydrate [15ndash17] It can be found for instance in onions(1ndash5 on a fresh weight basis) garlic (4ndash12) banana (02)and chicory roots (15ndash20) Indeed by its chemical structureinulin is not hydrolysed or absorbed in the small intestineand then it is considered a soluble fiber that can be incor-porated into various food products Its low sweetness and itsproperties similar to sucrose allow it to replace sugar in someformulations inulin stimulates the growth of bifidobacteriawhich is believed to have health-promoting functions Manyother health enhancing aspects of inulin concern diabeteslipid metabolism cancer prevention and antiulcer activity[18 19]

The technological use of inulin is based on its propertiesas a sugar replacer (especially in combination with highintensity sweeteners) as a fat replacer and texture modifierFor fat replacement in low-fat dairy products inulin seemsparticularly suitable as it may contribute to an improvedmouthfeel Also inulin was used to improve rheologicalcharacteristics and nutritional properties of food and to beclassified among functional foods [20]

Inulin gel formation is different from that obtained withhydrocolloids inulin forms particle gels whereas the increaseof viscosity through most hydrocolloids is obtained by bondsbetween chains [21] Rheological properties of inulin arequite well documented in the literature [22ndash24] Interactionsof inulin with some carbohydrates such as maize starchmaltodextrins or pectin have also been analysed [24ndash26]

Gelling properties of pectin may be affected by manyfactors Increased degree of methoxylation (DM) resulted inhigher setting temperature and so more rapid gel formationfor highmethoxyl pectin (PHM) [27] C Rolin and J de vries[28] reported that calcium addition also influences gel forma-tion behaviour of PHM [28] Moreover gelling temperatureincreases in the presence of Ca2+ Calcium content influencesalso the rheological behaviour of low methoxyl (LM) pectingels by increasing G1015840 (elastic modulus) but at Ca2+ levels thatare too high syneresis may occur Contrarily to PHM the geltemperature increases with decreasing DM In addition LMpectin with a blockwise distribution of free carboxyl groupsis very sensitive to calcium [29]

Interactions betweenmixed biopolymer systems of whichpectin is one component have been largely studied such aspectinalginate [30] pectinstarch [31] and pectingelatine[32] mixtures However few studies exist on the behaviour ofmixed inulin-pectin gels Pectin mixtures are widely used infood applications to obtain products with better properties

100 g of lyophilized Agave americana powder

Stirring extraction at 90∘C for 30min

09 g NaCl600mL distilled H2O

Filtration pleated filter

Precipitation with ethanol (24h 4∘C)

Centrifugation (3000 rpm 20min)

Washing 3 times with ethanol

Lyophilisationoven drying 40∘C or 60

∘C

Inulin powder

Figure 1 Extraction diagram of inulin from Agave americana L

The aim of the present work is to characterize leaves powderand inulin from theAAandnext to study the synergistic effectof inulin on pectin gel for food preparations

2 Materials and Methods

21 Origin ofMaterials AAplants cultivated organicallywerecollected at the same time from the same cultivation zone(Mrsquosaken Sousse Tunisia) Leaves were obtained from plantsat the same stage of maturation In this work the basal leavesof AA were used 5 kg of leaves is cut into large pieces andstored at minus20∘C until use for the different analyses

The pectin (high methyl pectin (PHM) medium rapidset) was supplied by Zina company Sfax Tunisia

22 Preparation of the Sampling At the first step AA leaveswere washed with water and the chlorophyll cuticle isremovedThen the leaves are cut into small pieces andmilledusing a laboratorymixer After that the resulting biomasswaslyophilized and stored at 4∘C until the analysis

23 Extraction Process The inulin from AA leaves wasextracted by mixing 600mL of distilled water per 100 g ofsample and the mixture was blended in a mechanical devicemade of stainless steel with 09 g of saltL and then stirredat 90∘C for 30min (Figure 1) The suspension was filtered oncanvas and then the supernatant was filtered under vacuumwith Whatman paper The filtrate was precipitated withethanol (90) overnight at 4∘C and centrifuged at 3000 rpmfor 20 minutes The obtained pellet was subjected to threewashes with ethanol lyophilized or oven dryed at 40∘C60∘Cand stored in desiccators until they were analysed [33 34]

24 Chemical Composition All analytical determinationswere performed at least in triplicate Values of different

Journal of Chemistry 3

parameters were expressed as the mean plusmn standard deviation(119883 plusmn SD)

Dry matter was determined according to the Associationof Official Analytical Chemists [35]

Nitrogen content of samples was determined by Kjeldahlmethod following the method of the AOAC (1995) [35]Protein content of each sample was calculated by multiplyingthe total nitrogen content by a factor of 625 [36]

Ash content was determined after incineration at 550∘Cduring 8 hours using a muffle furnace (NABER Germany)It was expressed as percent of dry weight [35]

Fat content was determined by continuous extractionwith a Soxhlet on samples previously dried and groundaccording to the method of the AOAC The solvent used forthis analysis is hexane [35]

Fiber was determined by the adopted method describedby Prosky et al (1988) [37] This is an enzyme-gravimetricmethod officially classified by AOAC (1995) [35] The Agaveleaves were crushed by an electric grinder for fine particlesThen the sampling is gelatinized with a thermostable 120572-amylase (A-3306) and next treated with a protease (P-3910) and amyloglucosidase (A-3042) (11 500 unitsmL) tohydrolyze proteins and starch

After enzymatic hydrolysis the residues were recoveredby centrifugation and washed with distilled water (twice)alcohol 95 (twice) and acetone (once) Finally residuesare dried and weighed Corrections are made during thedetermination of protein and ash Insoluble fiber (IF) contentis calculated using the following formula

IF = (Residue minus (Protein + Ash)) times 100 (1)

After enzymatic attack 4 volumes of 95 ethanol wereadded to the supernatant to precipitate inulinTheprecipitatecollected by centrifugation was washed successively with75 ethanol 95 ethanol and acetoneThe dried residuewasweighed Corrections are made during the determination ofprotein and ash Soluble fiber (SF) content is determined fromthe following formula

SF = ((Residue) minus (Protein + Ashes)) times 100 (2)

The total dietary fiber (TF) is determined as the sum ofinsoluble and soluble fiber

TF = IF +SF (3)

Soluble sugars are firstly extracted with 15mL of asolution of 96 ethanol with stirring at room temperatureand then centrifuged at 9418 g 4∘C for 20min Secondlythe resulting residue was washed with 5mL of a solutionof 80 ethanol Then the supernatants were collected andevaporated to obtain a volume of 1mL Finally it was adjustedto obtain 10mL with distilled water [38] The obtainedsolution was analyzed by the phenol-sulfuric method [39]

Polysaccharides were determined as follows the residueobtained from soluble sugars extraction was stored for 24hours at room temperature to evaporate the ethanol tracesThen 10mL of HCl (30) was added and the mixture wasincubated in a water bath at 60∘C for 2 hours and then

centrifuged at 9418 g 4∘C for 30min The supernatant wasfiltered through a filter paper and then adjusted to 10mLwithdistilled water The obtained solution was analyzed by thephenol-sulfuric method [39] The assay is performed with amixture (vv) of 1mL of the solutions obtainedwith a solutionof 5phenol 5mLof concentrated sulfuric acid is then addedand the mixture was placed in water bath at 25ndash30∘C for20minThe optical density wasmeasured at a wavelength 120582 =490 nm with a spectrophotometer (SHIMADZU mini 1240)The concentration of soluble sugars and polysaccharides isdetermined against a standard curvemadewith glucose Totalsugars were the sum of soluble sugars and polysaccharides

The mineral constituents (Ca Mg Na K) were analyzedseparately using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer(Hitachi Z6100 Japan)

The pH was measured using a pH-meter (METTLERTOLEDOMP220) at 20∘C

The levels of soluble solids of raw material expressedas ∘Brix were measured using a refractometer (Mod DR-101 Coseta SA Barcelona Spain) Both measurements weretaken at 20∘C

Water activity was measured by a NOVASINA aw SprintTH-500 Apparatus The measurement was performed at25∘C

25 Determination of Technofunctional Properties

251 Particle Size The measurement of particle size distri-bution tells us about the size of Agave leaves powder Thisparticle size was measured using a sieve with a mesh size of200120583m (Model VE 100 Retch Germany) The fine fraction(particle size lt 200120583m) was used for analysis

252 Water Holding Capacity and Oil Holding Capacity(WHC and OHC) The method of Moure et al (2001) wasused with a slight modification 1 g of samples was stirredin 10mL of distilled water or corn oil and then centrifugedat 7125 g for 20min (JOUAN CR4 22 USA) The volume ofthe supernatant was measured The water-holding capacitywas expressed as the number of gram of water held by 1 g ofsampleTheoil-holding capacitywas expressed as the numberof gram of oil held by 10 g of sample [40]

253 Emulsion Capacity (EC) The emulsion capacity wasdetermined by a model system described by Blecker et al(1997) Then sunflower oil was added to 50mL of solutions(7 wv) and emulsified using an Ultraturax T25 (IKaStaufen Germany) at 15000 rpm for 10min During emulsifi-cation temperature was maintained at 0∘C by immersing thereaction vessel in ice bath The sudden increase in electricalresistance showed the phase inversion point the oil phasebecomes continuous which can be determined by electricalconductivity measurements Emulsion capacity is expressedin g oil gminus1 of sample [41]

254 Swelling Power A dispersion of 200mg of dietarysoluble fiber in 10mL of distilled water was introduced intoa graduated cylinder After 18 hours of standing at room


temperature the amount of water retained by the fibers wasdetermined The swelling is the ratio between the volume ofwater and the test [42]

255 Solubility The solubility of inulin extracted from theAgave leaves and commercial inulin was determined asfollows at 25∘C inulin was added slowly in 10mL of waterunder stirring until complete dissolution and saturation Thesolubility is expressed as the mass of inulin dissolved in oneliter of distilled water [43]

256 Pectin-Inulin Mixed Gel Preparation High methoxylpectin (PHM) inulin and mixed gels were prepared to studythe effect of Agave inulin on gelling properties 15 to 30 ofinulin extracted from AA was used and dissolved in 50mLof distilled water and added with sucrose until a 55∘Brixof soluble solid levels Subsequently the PHM (4) wasadded and dissolved by stirring The pH was adjusted to3 using a citric acid solution (10) The obtained solutionwas heated to boiling with stirring until reaching a 65∘Brixof soluble solids extract Finally the preparation was settinginto cylindrical containers (35 cm diameter times 3 cmheight)The solutions were cooled to room temperature overnight(Figure 3) Similarly standard solutions at 4 of pectin and20 of commercial inulin concentrations were preparedwith distilled water and compared to mixed gels (the ratioPHMinulin mixture was 4 20)

257 Texture Analysis Penetration test was performed witha Texture Analyzer (Analysis LLOYD instruments FarehamUK) interfaced to a personal computer (Windows-basedSoftware NEXYGEN PLOT) Constant speed penetrationtests were performed directly on cylindrical containers (3 cmdiameter times 35 cmheight) All instrumental texture analyseswere conducted on chilled (25∘C) samples A cylindricalprobe (25mm of diameter) was introduced for 30mm intothe samples (the speed = 40mmmin) The prepared gelswere subjected to a test initiation of chewing (TextureProfile Analysis) From the force-versus-time curves valuesfor the maximum force (N) were calculated as force at adistance of 15mm (119865max) and a detection limit of 0005 kgforce into two times Triplicate measures for each gel wereperformed Textural parameters considered in the presentstudy were firmness elasticity cohesiveness adhesivenessand chewiness

26 Statistical Analysis One-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) was used to determine significant differences(119875 lt 005) between inulin-PHM gels and PHM or inulingels Duncanrsquos test was used to access the differences betweengels Statistical analyses were performed on statistical analysispackage STATISTICA (Release 50 Stat Soft Inc Talsa OK)

3 Results and Discussion

31 Physicochemical Properties of Powder and Inulin fromAgave americana L Leaves The extracted powder and inulinfrom AA leaves were illustrated in Figure 2 The proximate

(1) (2)

Figure 2 Agave americana leaves powder (1) and inulin (2)

Lyophilized inulin (20)

Adjustment of pH at 3 by citric acid (10)

Addition of the high methoxyl pectin (PHM) (4)

Gelation (24h 25∘C)

Inulin-pectin mixed gels

Addition of 50mL of distilled water andsucrose until a 55

∘Brix

Heating up to 65∘Brix

Figure 3 Diagram of inulin-pectin gels preparation

composition of leaves powder from AA plant was presentedin Table 1 Results showed a low content of the water (586)which facilitates their conservation But Agave is a succulentplant and this recalls the rich succulence racket prickly whenwater content was approximately 92 [44]

Moreover the total fiber content was the highest (3840)followed by protein content (3533) with a relatively lowlipid (203) and Ash (594) levels

The sugar fractions of Agave leaves were essentiallyformed by insoluble and soluble sugars (316 and 4267of total sugars resp)Agave leaves contained a high insolublefiber levelwhich confirms the appearance of the flesh filamen-tous leaves [45] However the soluble fiber fraction was lowercompared to insoluble fiber fraction (903 against 2937)The soluble fraction was represented mainly by fructans [14]The presence of this fraction confirms the choice of usingleaves part of the plant for inulin extraction

Table 1 shows the mineral composition of AA leavespowder A predominance of potassium (1096mg100 g of


Table1Ch

emicalcompo

sitionof

Agavea

merica

naLleaves

powder

Parameters

Dry

matter

(DM)()

Asha

Proteina

Lipida

Soluble

sugara

Insoluble

sugara

Soluble

fibre

aInsoluble

fibre

aTo

tal

fibre

aK

Na

Ca

Mg

pH

Lyop

hilised

Agaveleaves

9414plusmn

058

594plusmn

012

3533plusmn

073

203plusmn

006

4267plusmn

074

316plusmn

063

903plusmn

064

2937plusmn

059

3840plusmn

148

1096plusmn

011

0045plusmn

001

0762plusmn

013

0092plusmn

002

506plusmn

007

a (g100g

DM)

b (mg100g

DM)


Table 2 Physicochemical properties of inulin obtained from Agave americana L and commercial inulin ( DM)

Parameters Yield Aw pH Dry matter () Ash () Protein ()Agave americanaInulin 7912 plusmn 050 0275 plusmn 0013a 553 plusmn 055a 9219 plusmn 028a 289 plusmn 031a 346 plusmn 013a

Commercial inulin lowast lowast lowast 0282 plusmn 0011a 598 plusmn 034a 9167 plusmn 076a 119 plusmn 018b 158 plusmn 011b

Means in the same column with different letters are significantly different (119875 lt 005)

Table 3 Functional properties ofAgave americana L leaves powder inulin extracted fromAgaves americana and commercial inulin obtainedby lyophilisation

Parameters Solubility at 25∘C(gL)

WHC(g of waterg of sample)

OHC(g of oilg of sample)

SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsioncapacity ()

Agave powder lowast lowast lowast 1460 plusmn 066c 987 plusmn 029b 1520 plusmn 030b 1717 plusmn 104c

Agave inulin 7347 plusmn 014a 242 plusmn 018b 326 plusmn 059a 199 plusmn 013a 1448 plusmn 023a

CommercialInulin 11368 plusmn 414b 159 plusmn 002a 347 plusmn 003a 108 plusmn 001a 2142 plusmn 070b

Means in the same column with different letters are significantly different (119875 lt 005)WHC water holding capacity OHC oil holding capacity SP swelling power

AA) and calcium (0762mg100 g of AA) was observed andlow levels of sodium (0092mg100 g of AA) and magnesium(0045mg100 g of AA) similarly net Aloe vera [46]

The pH of AA powder was 506 presented in Table 1This value was higher than other fibre products such aspomegranate bagasses powder coproduct 44 [47] or orangedietary fibre 406 or lemon albedo 396 [48 49]

Furthermore Table 2 presents the physicochemical prop-erties of inulin obtained from AA and inulin extracted fromcommercial chicory Both inulins had a very high dry matter(91-92) Significant difference was observed between Agaveinulin and commercial inulin pH (553 against 598 resp)(119875 lt 005)This result can be due to the differences betweenthe two plant initial compositions

The water activity of Agave inulin and commercial inulin(119875 lt 005) was 0275 and 0282 respectively The water activ-ity and pH of Agave inulin and commercial inulin bothparameters highly related to product deterioration indicatethat the risk of deterioration (bymicroorganism enzymes orno enzymatic reactions) is minimal

Inulin from AA was characterized by a higher proteinand ash contents than the commercial chicory inulin (346against 158 and 289 against 119 resp) This significantdifference can probably be due to the difference between thelaboratory and the industrial purification process and thebotanical differences between the two studied plants AA andchicory

32 Functional Properties Table 3 showed the functionalproperties of AA powder Agave inulin and commercialinulinTheWHCofAgave leaves powder had the highest levelcompared with Agave inulin and commercial inulin (1460 gof waterg of sample against 159ndash242 g of waterg of sample)This result can be explained by the high Agave fibre content(3840) and protein content (3533) [50ndash53]The obtainedWHC of Agave leaves powder was higher than these of the

fibroprotein extracts from date seeds (4-5 g of waterg ofsample) [52] the citrus fiber (1066 g of waterg of fiber) [42]grapefruit fiber (977 g of waterg of fiber) [50] and orangefiber (11 g of waterg of fiber) [54]

OHC of Agave leaves powder was 987 g of oilg of thesample Considering this value of oil retention the Agaveleaves powder could be employed as like ingredient tostabilize the products rich in oil These WHC and OHCwere a function of size shape hydrophilic and hydrophobicinteractions and were affected by the presence of carbo-hydrates lipids and amino acid residues on the surfacesince most nonpolar amino acid residues and polar groupsare not hydrated in the interior [40 52] The particle sizeof Agave leaves powder and Agave inulin (particle size lt250 120583m) affected technofunctional properties Indeed thevery fine particles explained the importance of WHC andOHC increases The high WHC and OHC of these Agaveleaves powder and inulin suggest that it can be used as afunctional ingredient to improve the sensory properties ofthe formulated product to reduce syneresis modify textureviscosity and reduce calories of foods

The higher swelling property of Agave leaves powdermight be attributed to its lower density and lager surfacearea among the fiber samples Agave and commercial inulinhave a lower swelling power than the Agave leaves powder (1-2mLg against 1520mLg resp) It was suggested that thedifferences in hydration properties were a function of thephysical structure of the fiber which could be manipulatedby processing history Experimental procedures includinghow sample was prepared alter the physical structure ofthe fiber which could affect the hydration properties [55]This could explain the differences in hydration propertiesobserved between Agave leaves powder Agave inulin andcommercial inulin Hydration properties determine the roleof dietary fiber in regulating colonic function and also theirphysiological effects [56 57]


Table 4 Effect of drying process on the technofunctional properties of inulin extracted from Agave americana leaves

ParametersWHC

(g of waterg ofsample)


SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()

Lyophilisation 242 plusmn 018a 326 plusmn 059a 199 plusmn 013a 1448 plusmn 023a

Drying oven(119879 = 40∘C) 162 plusmn 007b 221 plusmn 012b 15 plusmn 052a 113 plusmn 003b

Drying oven(119879 = 60∘C) 136 plusmn 001c 190 plusmn 004c 115 plusmn 068a 1049 plusmn 066c


The solubility ofAgave inulin was significantly lower thanthose of commercial inulin (7347 plusmn 014 gL against 11368 plusmn414 gL) (119875 lt 005) However the solubility remained highfor both This high solubility in water probably affects thehydration properties of inulin

The emulsion capacity (EC) is amoleculersquos ability to act asan agent that facilitates solubilization or the dispersion of twoimmiscible liquids Emulsions are formed due to the presenceof hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups of carbohydrate TheEC of the agave leaves powder was 1717 and for Agaveinulin was 1448 while the EC of the commercial inulinwas 2142 Probably a relationship was existed betweenemulsion properties and solubility of the studied fiber Thisresult suggests that the improvement of emulsification capac-ity could be due to the presence of soluble protein andfiber M Viuda-Martos et al [47] reported similar result forpomegranate juice arils bagasse and pomegranate juice wholefruit bagasse

33 Effect of Drying Process on the Technofunctional Propertiesof Inulin Extracted from AA Leaves Table 4 presented theeffect of varying the drying temperature on the technofunc-tional properties of the Agave inulin If drying temperatureincreased the various technofunctional properties decreasedFor example theWHCof lyophilizedAgave inulinwas higherthan these obtained by drying ovenAgave inulinTherefore itcan be concluded that temperature of drying had an influenceon the structure and hydrophobic characteristics of Agaveinulin

Significant difference was observed between the differentdrying processes (lyophilization oven drying at 40∘C and60∘C) concerning the functional properties except swellingpower For example the OHC decreased with the increase ofdrying temperature The lyophilized inulin OHC was 326 gof oilg of sample against 221 g of oilg of sample for the ovendried inulin at 40∘C and 190 g of oilg of sample for the ovendried inulin at 60∘C Freeze-drying has provided the mostappreciated technofunctional inulin Certainly this processpreserved the inulin structure

34 Synergetic Effect of Agave Inulin on Textural Qualities ofPreparedMixed Gels The synergetic effect of preparedAgaveleaves inulin-PHMmixed gel on texture parameterswas stud-ied and compared to PHM gel commercial inulin gel andthe commercial inulin-pectin mixed gel Figure 4 and Table 5

Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01

Commercial inulin gelPHM gel

(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02

Commercial inulin-PHM gelAgave inulin-PHM gel

(b)

Figure 4 Texture profile of commercial inulin and PHM gelscommercial inulin-PHM and Agave inulin-PHM gels

exhibited the results of the textural analysis The inulinshowed a significant contribution to firmness chewiness


Table 5 Texture parameters of different prepared gels with inulin and commercial high-methoxy pectin (PHM)

Parameters Firmness (N) Cohesiveness Elasticity (mm) Chewiness(Nsdotmm)

Adhesiveness(Nmm)

Commercial Inulin 06836 plusmn 03068a 03294 plusmn 00236a 147903 plusmn 01655a 41992 plusmn 00013a 12318 plusmn 00583a

Commercial PHM 57238 plusmn 13484b 02762 plusmn 00123a 142419 plusmn 01125a 268461 plusmn 01425b 74136 plusmn 00263b

Commercial Inulin +Commercial PHM 01838 plusmn 01440a 04138 plusmn 03784a 92336 plusmn 03594b 10684 plusmn 13346a 09902 plusmn 01792a

Commercial PHM +Agave Inulin 03554 plusmn 00550a 03149 plusmn 00906a 101741 plusmn 10038b 12663 plusmn 03407a 13051 plusmn 01636a


PHM gel

(a)

Commercial inulin gel

(b)

Agave inulin-PHM gel

(c)

Commercial inulin-PHM gel

(d)

Figure 5 Different prepared gels in laboratory

and adhesiveness of prepared inulin gels compared withcommercial PHM gel

The firmness is the force required to achieve a givendeformation No significant difference was observed betweenthe firmness of the commercial inulin gel the Agave inulin-PHM and the commercial inulin-PHM mixed gels Thoseprepared gels were very fragile and presented a significantdifferent firmness compared to the commercial PHMgel (119875 lt005) These low levels of firmness of the commercial inulingel the commercial inulin-PHM and Agave inulin-PHMmixed gels could be explained by the presence of synergeticeffect between inulin and PHM For example firmness ofPHM-Agave inulin mixed gel is 03554N against 57238N forthe PHMgel However firmness of PHM-Agave inulinmixedgel was slightly lower (03554N) than these of commercialinulin gel (06836N) and slightly higher than the commercialinulin-PHM mixed gel (01838N) Probably pectin reactssynergistically with Agave inulin which enhances the ten-derness of mixed gels This result can be explained by thepresence of impurities from Agave inulin due to the absence

of a purification step Furthermore firmness of the preparedgels decreased with the presence of inulin which confirms thesynergy between these two hydrocolloids especially the inulinin improving the textural parameters of gels These preparedgels were presented in Figure 5

Adhesion was themaximum force required to remove theprobe from the sample after applying a compressive forceAccording to the obtained results no significant differencewas shown between the adhesiveness of different preparedgels except those of PHM gel (119875 lt 005) For example adhe-sion of PHM-Agave inulin mixed gel was significantly lowerthan those of PHM gel (13051Nmm against 74136Nmm)(119875 lt 005) These results confirmed the existence of synergybetween principally inulin and PHM

Cohesiveness was the ratio of the area under the curveof the second compression to the area under the curve of thefirst compression [58] Table 5 indicates that the cohesionwasvery low in different gels The cohesiveness levels rangingbetween 02762 and 04138 were not changing significantlyfor the mixed gels


Elasticity was the height at which the sample returnsto its original size after compression [59] Significant dif-ference was shown between elasticity of commercial inulinand PHM gels and the mixed gels (Agave inulin-PHM andcommercial inulin-PHM gels) However the Agave inulin-PHM or commercial inulin-PHM mixed gels were slightlylower compared with PHM and commercial inulin gels (9-10mm against 14mm resp) These results can be explainedby the synergetic effect between pectin and inulin gels

Furthermore these results could be explained in the factthat the Agave inulin contains proteins sugars and fibersother than inulin in lowproportions For example the proteinfraction present in the Agave inulin was about 346 thusmore residues have probably a role in gelation such as the S-Sbridge They are involved in establishing a gel network TheAgave inulin-PHM gel had an appreciated texture more thanthe commercial inulin-PHM gel and gives importance to theAgave inulin to play the role of a texturing in various foodformulations Yet the saturation of synergy between inulinprotein and pectin affected the general appearance of themixed gels and revealed the higher affinity of compounds forthe pectinmatrix Similar phenomenawere reported betweenk-carrageenan and hydrocolloid from leaves of Corchorusolitorius [60]

Moreover the presence of inulin can probably cause localdisruptions of the pectin gel structure and at the same timereduces the freedom of polymeric chains of pectin for search-ing for an ordered binding The Agave inulin changed theproperties of the matrix resulting in a more nonpolar matrixThis is indicated by a larger retention of the more hydropho-bic compounds than the less hydrophobic compounds in themore rigid gels [61]

When solutions of two biopolymers were mixed interac-tions between their chains depend on the balance betweenthe enthalpy and the entropy changes on mixing beingtherefore either favorable (association) or unfavorable (seg-regation) [62] Almost all biopolymer mixtures exhibit seg-regate interactions unless there is an electrostatic drive toassociationThese usually result in phase separated networkswhere the components tend to exclude each other from theirdomains [63]

4 Conclusion

The present paper reported the basic chemical and physic-ochemical properties of inulin from leaves of AA obtainedby water extraction Results indicated the potentiality tovalorize Agave americana L leaves of Tunisia especiallyinulin fraction For gelling properties it has revealed thatPHM-Agave inulin gel exhibited lower firmness due to thesynergy between Agave inulin and pectin in relation to gelstrengthThis synergy implies that inulin could not only be analternative to pectin in many applications but may introducenew functions to inulin Thus AA is an interesting source ofinulin though further investigation should be done in orderto fully explore the potential of this studied hydrocolloid

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper

References

[1] P S Nobel Remarkable Agaves and Cacti Oxford UniversityPress Oxford UK 1994

[2] M Irish and G Irish Agaves Yuccas and Related Plants AGardenerrsquos Guide Timber Press Portland Ore USA 2000

[3] M D Garcıa A M Quılez M T Saenz M E Martınez-Domınguez and R de la Puerta ldquoAnti-inflammatory activity ofAgave intermixta Trel and Cissus sicyoides L species used inthe Caribbean traditional medicinerdquo Journal of Ethnopharma-cology vol 71 no 3 pp 395ndash400 2000

[4] A T Peana M D L Moretti V Manconi G Desole andP Pippia ldquoAnti-inflammatory activity of aqueous extracts andsteroidal sapogenins of Agave americanardquo Planta Medica vol63 no 3 pp 199ndash202 1997

[5] G J Uribe and S S Saldivar ldquoAgave syrup extracts havinganticancer activityrdquo US Patent AA61K31353FI 2009

[6] C P Khare Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated DictionarySpringer Science and Business Media 2007

[7] P E Zwane M TMasarirambi N TMagagula AM Dlaminiand E Bhebhe ldquoExploitation of AA L plant for food security inSwazilandrdquo American Journal of Food and Nutrition vol 1 no2 pp 82ndash88 2011

[8] B Rodrıguez-Garay J A Lomelı-Sencion E Tapia-Campos etal ldquoMorphological and molecular diversity of Agave tequilanaWeber var Azul and Agave angustifolia Haw var LinenordquoIndustrial Crops and Products vol 29 no 1 pp 220ndash228 2009

[9] G Iniguez-Covarrubias R Dıaz-Teres R Sanjuan-Duenas JAnzaldo-Hernandez and R M Rowell ldquoUtilization of by-products from the tequila industry Part 2 potential value ofAgave tequilanaWeber azul leavesrdquo Bioresource Technology vol77 no 2 pp 101ndash108 2001

[10] L Guendo Flore Europeenne Hachette Paris France 1998[11] A Cuendo G Pottier-Alapetite and A Labbe Flore ana-

lytique et synoptique de la Tunisie Cryptogames vasculairesGymnospermes etMonocotyledones Office de lrsquoExperimentationet de la Vulgarisation Agricoles de Tunisie (SEFAN) TunisTunisia 1954

[12] S Msahli J Y Drean and F Sakli ldquoEvaluating the fineness ofAgave americana L fibersrdquo Textile Research Journal vol 75 no7 pp 540ndash543 2005

[13] A Bessadok S Marais S Roudesli C Lixon and M MetayerldquoInfluence of chemical modifications on water-sorption andmechanical properties of Agave fibresrdquo Composites Part A vol39 no 1 pp 29ndash45 2008

[14] J Arrizon S Morel A Gschaedler and P Monsan ldquoCompari-son of the water-soluble carbohydrate composition and fructanstructures of Agave tequilana plants of different agesrdquo FoodChemistry vol 122 no 1 pp 123ndash130 2010

[15] C DMay ldquoIndustrial pectins sources production and applica-tionsrdquo Carbohydrate Polymers vol 12 no 1 pp 79ndash99 1990

[16] T Ritsema and S Smeekens ldquoFructans beneficial for plants andhumansrdquoCurrentOpinion in Plant Biology vol 6 no 3 pp 223ndash230 2003

[17] J van Loo P Coussement L de Leenheer H Hoebregs and GSmits ldquoOn the presence of inulin and oligofructose as natural


ingredients in the western dietrdquoCritical Reviews in Food Scienceand Nutrition vol 35 no 6 pp 525ndash552 1995

[18] I Austarheim C Nergard R Sanogo D Diallo and BPaulsen ldquoInulin-rich fractionsfrom Vernonia kotschyana rootshaveanti-ulceractivityrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 144pp 82ndash85 2012

[19] M Roberfroid ldquoDietary fiber inulin and oligofructose areview comparing their physiological effectsrdquo Critical Reviewsin Food Science and Nutrition vol 33 no 2 pp 103ndash148 1993

[20] D Meyer S Bayarri A Tarrega and E Costell ldquoInulin astexture modifier in dairy productsrdquo Food Hydrocolloids vol 25no 8 pp 1881ndash1890 2011

[21] ldquoFrutafit-inulinrdquo in Handbook of Hydrocolloids G O Phillipsand P A Williams Eds pp 397ndash403 Woodhead PublishingLtd Cambridge UK 2000

[22] I E Bishay ldquoRheological characterization of inulinrdquo in Gumsand Stabilisers for the Food Industry P A Williams and GO Phillips Eds vol 9 pp 403ndash408 The Royal Society ofChemistry London UK 1998

[23] Y Kim M N Faqih and S S Wang ldquoFactors affecting gelformation of inulinrdquo Carbohydrate Polymers vol 46 no 2 pp135ndash145 2001

[24] J E Zimeri and J L Kokini ldquoRheological properties of inulin-waxy maize starch systemsrdquo Carbohydrate Polymers vol 52 no1 pp 67ndash85 2003

[25] J P M Van Duynhoven A S Kulik H R A Jonker andJ Haverkamp ldquoSolid-like components in carbohydrate gelsprobed by NMR spectroscopyrdquo Carbohydrate Polymers vol 40no 3 pp 211ndash219 1999

[26] P Giannouli and E R Morris ldquoCryogelation of xanthanrdquo FoodHydrocolloids vol 17 no 4 pp 495ndash501 2003

[27] C Lofgren S Guillotin H Evenbratt H Schols and A MHermansson ldquoEffects of calcium pH and blockiness on kineticrheological behavior and microstructure of HM pectin gelsrdquoBiomacromolecules vol 6 no 2 pp 646ndash652 2005

[28] C Rolin and J de Vries ldquoPectinrdquo in Food Gels P Harris Ed pp401ndash434 Elsevier London UK 1990

[29] J F Thibault and M C Ralet ldquoPhysico-chemical propertiesof pectins in the cell walls and after extractionrdquo in Advancesin Pectin and Pectinase Research F Voragen H Schols andR Visser Eds pp 91ndash105 Kluwer Academic Publishers Dor-drecht The Netherlands 2003

[30] P Walkenstrom S Kidman A M Hermansson P B Rasmuss-en and L Hoegh ldquoMicrostructure and rheological behaviourof alginatepectin mixed gelsrdquo Food Hydrocolloids vol 17 no 5pp 593ndash603 2003

[31] V Evageliou RK Richardson andE RMorris ldquoCo-gelation ofhigh methoxy pectin with oxidized starch or potato maltodex-trinrdquo Carbohydrate Polymers vol 42 no 3 pp 233ndash243 2000

[32] I M Al-Ruqaie S Kasapis R K Richardson and G MitchellldquoThe glass transition zone in high solids pectin and gellanpreparationsrdquo Polymer vol 38 no 22 pp 5685ndash5694 1997

[33] M Masmoudi S Besbes M Chaabouni et al ldquoOptimizationof pectin extraction from lemon by-product with acidifieddate juice using response surface methodologyrdquo CarbohydratePolymers vol 74 no 2 pp 185ndash192 2008

[34] T Paseephol D Small and F Sherkat ldquoProcess optimisation forfractionating Jerusalem artichoke fructans with ethanol usingresponse surface methodologyrdquo Food Chemistry vol 104 no 1pp 73ndash80 2007

[35] AOAC Official Methods of Analysis Association of OfficialAnalytical Chemists Washington DC USA 15th edition 1995

[36] S Besbes C Blecker C Deroanne G Lognay N E Driraand H Attia ldquoQuality characteristics and oxidative stabilityof date seed oil during storagerdquo Food Science and TechnologyInternational vol 10 no 5 pp 333ndash338 2004

[37] L Prosky N G Asp T F Schweizer J W DeVries and I FurdaldquoDetermination of insoluble soluble and total dietary fiber infoods and food products interlaboratory studyrdquo Journal of theAssociation of Official Analytical Chemists vol 71 no 5 pp1017ndash1023 1988

[38] R Ninio E Lewinsohn Y Mizrahi and Y Sitrit ldquoChanges insugars acids and volatiles during ripening of koubo (Cereusperuvianus (L) Miller) fruitsrdquo Journal of Agricultural and FoodChemistry vol 51 no 3 pp 797ndash801 2003

[39] M Dubois K A Gilles J K Hamilton P A Rebers and FSmith ldquoColorimetric method for determination of sugars andrelated substancesrdquoAnalytical Chemistry vol 28 no 3 pp 350ndash356 1956

[40] A Moure J Sineiro and H Domınguez ldquoExtraction andfunctionality of membrane-concentrated protein from defattedRosa rubiginosa seedsrdquo Food Chemistry vol 74 no 3 pp 327ndash339 2001

[41] C Blecker M Paquot I Lamberti A Sensidoni G Lognayand C Deroanne ldquoImproved emulsifying and foaming of wheyproteins after enzymic fat hydrolysisrdquo Journal of Food Sciencevol 62 no 1 pp 48ndash74 1997

[42] J A Robertson F D de Monredon P Dysseler F GuillonR Amado and J F Thibault ldquoHydration properties of dietaryfibre and resistant starch a European collaborative studyrdquo FoodScience and Technology vol 33 no 2 pp 72ndash79 2000

[43] S N Ronkart C Deroanne M Paquot C Fougnies J CLambrechts and C S Blecker ldquoCharacterization of the physicalstate of spray-dried inulinrdquo Food Biophysics vol 2 no 2-3 pp83ndash92 2007

[44] M A Ayadi W Abdelmaksoud M Ennouri and H AttialdquoCladodes fromOpuntia ficus indica as a source of dietary fibereffect on dough characteristics and cake makingrdquo IndustrialCrops and Products vol 30 no 1 pp 40ndash47 2009

[45] Y Chaabouni J Y Drean S Msahli and F Sakli ldquoMorpholog-ical characterization of individual fiber of Agave americana LrdquoTextile Research Journal vol 76 no 5 pp 367ndash374 2006

[46] A Femenia A C Lefebvre J Y Thebaudin J A Robertsonand CM Bourgeois ldquoPhysical and sensory properties ofmodelfoods supplemented with cauliflower fiberrdquo Journal of FoodScience vol 62 no 4 pp 635ndash639 1997

[47] M Viuda-Martos Y Ruiz-Navajas A Martin-Sanchez etal ldquoChemical physico-chemical and functional propertiesof pomegranate (Punica granatum L) bagasses powder co-productrdquo Journal of Food Engineering vol 110 pp 220ndash2242012

[48] Y Lario E Sendra C Garcıa-Perez et al ldquoPreparation of highdietary fiber powder from lemon juice by productrdquo InnovativeFood Science and Emerging Technologies vol 5 no 1 pp 113ndash1172004

[49] M C Garau S Simal C Rossello and A Femenia ldquoEffectof air-drying temperature on physico-chemical properties ofdietary fibre and antioxidant capacity of orange (Citrus auran-tium v Canoneta) by-productsrdquo Food Chemistry vol 104 no 3pp 1014ndash1024 2007


[50] M Fernandez B Borroto J A Larrauri and E Sevillano ldquoFibradietetica de toronja producto natural sin aditivosrdquoAlimentariavol 247 pp 81ndash883 1993

[51] M A Bouaziz W B Amara H Attia C Blecker and S BesbesldquoEffect of the addition of defatted date seeds on wheat doughperformance and bread qualityrdquo Journal of Texture Studies vol41 no 4 pp 511ndash531 2010

[52] M A Bouaziz S Besbes C H Blecker andH Attia ldquoChemicalcomposition and some functional properties of soluble fibro-protein extracts fromTunisian date palm seedsrdquoAfrican Journalof Biotechnology vol 12 no 10 pp 1121ndash1131 2013

[53] M El-Gerssifi ldquoLes defauts des produits de patisserie et de bis-cuiteries au cours du stockage la prevention par la formulationrdquoIndustries Alimentaires et Agriccoles vol 7 pp 82ndash88 1998

[54] N Grigelmo-Miguel E Carreras-Boladeras and O Martın-Belloso ldquoDevelopment of high-fruit-dietary-fibre muffinsrdquoEuropean Food Research and Technology vol 210 no 2 pp 123ndash128 1999

[55] K Zhu S Huang W Peng H Qian and H Zhou ldquoEffect ofultrafine grinding on hydration and antioxidant properties ofwheat bran dietary fiberrdquo Food Research International vol 43no 4 pp 943ndash948 2010

[56] F Guillon and M M J Champ ldquoCarbohydrate fractions oflegumes uses in human nutrition and potential for healthrdquoBritish Journal of Nutrition vol 88 no 3 pp S293ndashS306 2002

[57] S M Tosh and S Yada ldquoDietary fibres in pulse seeds and frac-tions characterization functional attributes and applicationsrdquoFood Research International vol 43 no 2 pp 450ndash460 2010

[58] J F Meullenet B G Lyon J A Carpenter and C E LyonldquoRelationship between sensory and instrumental texture profileattributesrdquo Journal of Sensory Studies vol 13 no 1 pp 77ndash931998

[59] A M Munoz ldquoDevelopment and application of texture refer-ence scalesrdquo Journal of Sensory Studies vol 1 no 1 pp 55ndash831986

[60] E Yamazaki O Kurita and Y Matsumura ldquoHydrocolloid fromleaves of Corchorus olitorius and its synergistic effect on 120581-carrageenan gel strengthrdquo Food Hydrocolloids vol 22 no 5 pp819ndash825 2008

[61] A B Boland C M Delahunty and S M Van Ruth ldquoInfluenceof the texture of gelatin gels and pectin gels on strawberryflavour release and perceptionrdquo Food Chemistry vol 96 no 3pp 452ndash460 2006

[62] L Piculell I Iliopoulos P Linse et al ldquoAssociation andsegregation in ternary polymer solutions and gelsrdquo inGums andStabilisers for the Food Industry G O Phillips P A Williamsand D J Wedlock Eds vol 7 pp 309ndash322 IRL Press OxfordUK 1994

[63] V Evageliou G Tseliou I Mandala and M Komaitis ldquoEffectof inulin on texture and clarity of gellan gelsrdquo Journal of FoodEngineering vol 101 no 4 pp 381ndash385 2010

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Inorganic ChemistryInternational Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

International Journal ofPhotoenergy


Carbohydrate Chemistry

International Journal of


Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Analytical Methods in Chemistry

Journal of

Volume 2014

Bioinorganic Chemistry and ApplicationsHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

SpectroscopyInternational Journal of


The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Medicinal ChemistryInternational Journal of


Chromatography Research International


Applied ChemistryJournal of



Theoretical ChemistryJournal of


Journal of

Spectroscopy

Analytical ChemistryInternational Journal of


Journal of


Quantum Chemistry


Organic Chemistry International

ElectrochemistryInternational Journal of



CatalystsJournal of


termed the trunk can reach 10 to 20m of length Evaluationof AA as a source of fiber was launched recently in Tunisiawhere fibers are extracted traditionally and used for makingtwines and ropes [12] The AA was much used by Tunisiansfor its fibers when fibers extracted by simple immersion inseawater were used tomake ropes and twines for agriculturalmarine purposes and known for its wealth of structuralinsoluble polysaccharides [13] and soluble polysaccharides[14] Thus it would be wise to valorise any noble fractionsof AA

On the other hand inulin is the second polysaccharidereserve most abundant after starch It is the main reservecarbohydrate [15ndash17] It can be found for instance in onions(1ndash5 on a fresh weight basis) garlic (4ndash12) banana (02)and chicory roots (15ndash20) Indeed by its chemical structureinulin is not hydrolysed or absorbed in the small intestineand then it is considered a soluble fiber that can be incor-porated into various food products Its low sweetness and itsproperties similar to sucrose allow it to replace sugar in someformulations inulin stimulates the growth of bifidobacteriawhich is believed to have health-promoting functions Manyother health enhancing aspects of inulin concern diabeteslipid metabolism cancer prevention and antiulcer activity[18 19]

The technological use of inulin is based on its propertiesas a sugar replacer (especially in combination with highintensity sweeteners) as a fat replacer and texture modifierFor fat replacement in low-fat dairy products inulin seemsparticularly suitable as it may contribute to an improvedmouthfeel Also inulin was used to improve rheologicalcharacteristics and nutritional properties of food and to beclassified among functional foods [20]

Inulin gel formation is different from that obtained withhydrocolloids inulin forms particle gels whereas the increaseof viscosity through most hydrocolloids is obtained by bondsbetween chains [21] Rheological properties of inulin arequite well documented in the literature [22ndash24] Interactionsof inulin with some carbohydrates such as maize starchmaltodextrins or pectin have also been analysed [24ndash26]

Gelling properties of pectin may be affected by manyfactors Increased degree of methoxylation (DM) resulted inhigher setting temperature and so more rapid gel formationfor highmethoxyl pectin (PHM) [27] C Rolin and J de vries[28] reported that calcium addition also influences gel forma-tion behaviour of PHM [28] Moreover gelling temperatureincreases in the presence of Ca2+ Calcium content influencesalso the rheological behaviour of low methoxyl (LM) pectingels by increasing G1015840 (elastic modulus) but at Ca2+ levels thatare too high syneresis may occur Contrarily to PHM the geltemperature increases with decreasing DM In addition LMpectin with a blockwise distribution of free carboxyl groupsis very sensitive to calcium [29]

Interactions betweenmixed biopolymer systems of whichpectin is one component have been largely studied such aspectinalginate [30] pectinstarch [31] and pectingelatine[32] mixtures However few studies exist on the behaviour ofmixed inulin-pectin gels Pectin mixtures are widely used infood applications to obtain products with better properties

100 g of lyophilized Agave americana powder

Stirring extraction at 90∘C for 30min

09 g NaCl600mL distilled H2O

Filtration pleated filter

Precipitation with ethanol (24h 4∘C)

Centrifugation (3000 rpm 20min)

Washing 3 times with ethanol

Lyophilisationoven drying 40∘C or 60

∘C

Inulin powder

Figure 1 Extraction diagram of inulin from Agave americana L

The aim of the present work is to characterize leaves powderand inulin from theAAandnext to study the synergistic effectof inulin on pectin gel for food preparations

2 Materials and Methods

21 Origin ofMaterials AAplants cultivated organicallywerecollected at the same time from the same cultivation zone(Mrsquosaken Sousse Tunisia) Leaves were obtained from plantsat the same stage of maturation In this work the basal leavesof AA were used 5 kg of leaves is cut into large pieces andstored at minus20∘C until use for the different analyses

The pectin (high methyl pectin (PHM) medium rapidset) was supplied by Zina company Sfax Tunisia

22 Preparation of the Sampling At the first step AA leaveswere washed with water and the chlorophyll cuticle isremovedThen the leaves are cut into small pieces andmilledusing a laboratorymixer After that the resulting biomasswaslyophilized and stored at 4∘C until the analysis

23 Extraction Process The inulin from AA leaves wasextracted by mixing 600mL of distilled water per 100 g ofsample and the mixture was blended in a mechanical devicemade of stainless steel with 09 g of saltL and then stirredat 90∘C for 30min (Figure 1) The suspension was filtered oncanvas and then the supernatant was filtered under vacuumwith Whatman paper The filtrate was precipitated withethanol (90) overnight at 4∘C and centrifuged at 3000 rpmfor 20 minutes The obtained pellet was subjected to threewashes with ethanol lyophilized or oven dryed at 40∘C60∘Cand stored in desiccators until they were analysed [33 34]

24 Chemical Composition All analytical determinationswere performed at least in triplicate Values of different













TF = IF +SF (3)





















(1) (2)








∘Brix








Table1Ch

emicalcompo

sitionof

Agavea

merica

naLleaves

powder

Parameters

Dry

matter

(DM)()

Asha

Proteina

Lipida

Soluble

sugara

Insoluble

sugara

Soluble

fibre

aInsoluble

fibre

aTo

tal

fibre

aK

Na

Ca

Mg

pH

Lyop

hilised

Agaveleaves

9414plusmn

058

594plusmn

012

3533plusmn

073

203plusmn

006

4267plusmn

074

316plusmn

063

903plusmn

064

2937plusmn

059

3840plusmn

148

1096plusmn

011

0045plusmn

001

0762plusmn

013

0092plusmn

002

506plusmn

007

a (g100g

DM)

b (mg100g

DM)










SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsioncapacity ()
















ParametersWHC



SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()










Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01


(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02


(b)






Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of













TF = IF +SF (3)





















(1) (2)








∘Brix








Table1Ch

emicalcompo

sitionof

Agavea

merica

naLleaves

powder

Parameters

Dry

matter

(DM)()

Asha

Proteina

Lipida

Soluble

sugara

Insoluble

sugara

Soluble

fibre

aInsoluble

fibre

aTo

tal

fibre

aK

Na

Ca

Mg

pH

Lyop

hilised

Agaveleaves

9414plusmn

058

594plusmn

012

3533plusmn

073

203plusmn

006

4267plusmn

074

316plusmn

063

903plusmn

064

2937plusmn

059

3840plusmn

148

1096plusmn

011

0045plusmn

001

0762plusmn

013

0092plusmn

002

506plusmn

007

a (g100g

DM)

b (mg100g

DM)










SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsioncapacity ()
















ParametersWHC



SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()










Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01


(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02


(b)






Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of









(1) (2)








∘Brix








Table1Ch

emicalcompo

sitionof

Agavea

merica

naLleaves

powder

Parameters

Dry

matter

(DM)()

Asha

Proteina

Lipida

Soluble

sugara

Insoluble

sugara

Soluble

fibre

aInsoluble

fibre

aTo

tal

fibre

aK

Na

Ca

Mg

pH

Lyop

hilised

Agaveleaves

9414plusmn

058

594plusmn

012

3533plusmn

073

203plusmn

006

4267plusmn

074

316plusmn

063

903plusmn

064

2937plusmn

059

3840plusmn

148

1096plusmn

011

0045plusmn

001

0762plusmn

013

0092plusmn

002

506plusmn

007

a (g100g

DM)

b (mg100g

DM)










SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsioncapacity ()
















ParametersWHC



SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()










Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01


(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02


(b)






Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of


Table1Ch

emicalcompo

sitionof

Agavea

merica

naLleaves

powder

Parameters

Dry

matter

(DM)()

Asha

Proteina

Lipida

Soluble

sugara

Insoluble

sugara

Soluble

fibre

aInsoluble

fibre

aTo

tal

fibre

aK

Na

Ca

Mg

pH

Lyop

hilised

Agaveleaves

9414plusmn

058

594plusmn

012

3533plusmn

073

203plusmn

006

4267plusmn

074

316plusmn

063

903plusmn

064

2937plusmn

059

3840plusmn

148

1096plusmn

011

0045plusmn

001

0762plusmn

013

0092plusmn

002

506plusmn

007

a (g100g

DM)

b (mg100g

DM)










SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsioncapacity ()
















ParametersWHC



SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()










Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01


(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02


(b)






Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of










SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsioncapacity ()
















ParametersWHC



SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()










Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01


(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02


(b)






Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of



ParametersWHC



SP(mL of waterg of

sample)

Emulsion capacity()










Forc

e (N

)

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120

minus01


(a)

Forc

e (N

)

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

Temps (s)0 30 60 90 120 150

minus01

minus02


(b)






Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of




Adhesiveness(Nmm)






PHM gel

(a)


(b)


(c)


(d)












4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of






4 Conclusion




References












































































Journal of

Chemistry


Advances in

Physical Chemistry



Journal of

Volume 2014














Journal of

Spectroscopy



Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of



























































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Chemistry


Advances in

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Volume 2014














Journal of

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Journal of


Quantum Chemistry






CatalystsJournal of

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