Page 123 - Pharmd general phytochemistry I-Final2024_LEUCTERS

Pectin

Occurrence:
 Pectin is a purified carbohydrate product obtained from the dilute acid extract of the

inner portion of the rind of citrus fruits or from apple pomace.
Chemical composition:
 Pectin is a natural hydrophilic colloid consisting chiefly of partially methoxylated

polygalacturonic acids; the main carbohydrate component is a linear, 1 ,4-linked D-
galacturonan.
 The molecular weight of pectin ranges from 100,000 to 250,000.
Uses:
1- As a suspending agent and as an ingredient in many antidiarrheal formulations.
2- As a colloidal solution, it has the property of conjugating toxins and enhancing the
physiologic functions of the digestive tract. In the upper intestinal tract, pectin
possesses a surface area composed of ultramicroscopic particles (Micelles) that
have the property of colloidal absorption of toxins.

Heparin

Occurrence:
 The main sources of commercial heparin are lung and liver tissues, it is also

produced by selective processing of pig intestines mucosa.
Chemical composition:
 It is a large, dextrorotatory, highly acidic polysaccharide molecule composed of

sulfated D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid residues.
 The polymer chain contains a repeating disaccharide units of D-glucosamine N,6-

disulfate and D-glucuronic acid 2- sulfate. These monosaccharide units are linked
by α, 1→4 bonds.
 Because of its acidic properties, heparin is also referred to as heparinic acid.

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