STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF EXTRACTION METHOD AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF POLYSACCHARIDES OBTAINED FROM NOPAL (OPUNTIA SPP.)

Abstract

This study investigates the extraction efficiency of polysaccharides from Nopal cactus (Opuntia spp.) using three methods: maceration, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE). In the maceration method, optimization of material-to-solvent ratios and extraction times yielded a maximum crude polysaccharide content of 7.92% and a carbohydrate content in the crude polysaccharide of 5.58%. UAE improved extraction performance, achieving 9.01% polysaccharides and 6.44% carbohydrate under varied ultrasound amplitudes and precipitation ratios. UAEE demonstrated the highest efficiency, particularly with the combined use of 0.5% cellulase and 0.5% pectinase, resulting in 18.12% polysaccharides and 13.02% carbohydrate. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of polysaccharides through characteristic functional groups, including –OH, –CH, –C=O, C=C, and C–O–C. Overall, UAEE not only significantly enhanced polysaccharide recovery but also preserved chemical integrity, highlighting its potential for developing biodegradable polymer films.