Extraction of pectin from Assam lemon (Citrus limon) peel and its use in preparation of low-fat mayonnaise

This study mainly focused on the formulation of low-fat mayonnaise using lemon peel-based pectin gel as a fat replacer. Assam lemon peel powder was prepared and was used as a sustainable source for the development of pectin using the ultrasound-assisted extraction method. The physicochemical properties of lemon peel powder were studied on the basis of moisture content, bulk density, tapped density, and pH. The yield of pectin was found to be 12.84 ± 0.14%. Furthermore, the extracted pectin was characterized by XRD spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. In XRD spectroscopy, the diffraction peak at 2θ = 18.9° indicates the characteristic peak of pectin. Furthermore, the extracted pectin was utilized to prepare pectin gel with soy protein and sodium tripolyphosphate and was stabilized using sodium alginate. The prepared pectin gel was incorporated for formulating low-fat mayonnaise formulations such as low-veg-fat mayonnaise (LVM) and low-egg-fat mayonnaise (LEM) to improve the texture, stability, and nutritional profile. Furthermore, these two formulations were compared with the commercial mayonnaise. Among all, low-veg-fat mayonnaise (LVM) exhibited the lowest fat content of 44.89%. However, LVM and LEM had a viscosity of 284 Pa s⁻¹ and 316 Pa s⁻¹, respectively. In terms of firmness and stickiness, variations were observed among the mayonnaise samples, with LVM showing the lowest firmness of 0.86 ± 0.07 N and stickiness of 0.54 ± 0.05 N. Thus, this research contributes to the exploration of sustainable alternatives in food ingredient sourcing and product development, with implications for both the food industry and consumer health.