Abstract

On the rich pectin repertoire and functional versatility: An emphasis on the overlooked block co-polymers

Author(s): Beda M.Yapo

Pectins are complex structural components of plant cell walls, which can be composed of at least 17 monosaccharides of which -D-galactopyranosyluronic acid is quantitatively the most important. They are nowadays viewed as multi-block cobiopolymers, containing homogalacturonan, xylogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan-I, and rhamnogalacturonan-II structural domains. This overviewof pectins is, however, restrictive inasmuch as other block copolymers, namely apiogalacturonan, galacturonogalacturonan, galactogalacturonan, and arabinogalacturonan have also been reported to be integral part of pectins from diverse sources. The review aims at highlighting and updating the extraordinary pectin repertoire and related (bio- )functionalities with a special mention of the overlooked polymers