Pectic acid
Encyclopedia
Pectic acid, also known as polygalacturonic acid is a water insoluble, transparent gelatinous acid
existing in ripe fruit
and some vegetables. It is a product of pectin
degradation in plants, and is produced via the interaction between pectinase
and pectin (the latter being common in the wine-making industry).
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
existing in ripe fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and some vegetables. It is a product of pectin
Pectin
Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot...
degradation in plants, and is produced via the interaction between pectinase
Pectinase
Pectinase is a general term for enzymes, such as pectolyase, pectozyme and polygalacturonase, commonly referred to in brewing as pectic enzymes. These break down pectin, a polysaccharide substrate that is found in the cell walls of plants. One of the most studied and widely used commercial...
and pectin (the latter being common in the wine-making industry).