Rather than disposed of as waste, cocoa pod husk has a potential to be the source of natural pectin. An efficient extraction process can provide a sufficient amount of pectin. This study aims to analyze the performance of microwave-assisted extraction to separate pectin from cocoa pod husk mediated by cheaper and milder acidifying agent, oxalic acid. Response surface methodology was performed to investigate the effect of pH, ratio of liquid to solid, and irradiation time on the quantity of pectin extracted. Our model showed that reducing ratio of liquid to solid did not dramatically affect extraction yield. Higher oxalic acid concentration, i.e. lower pH, and prolonged irradiation time increased yield, yet decreased degree of esterification which influences the gelling ability of pectin. This technique also significantly shortened the extraction time compared to conventional method. Our finding complements the application of microwave-assisted extraction as a modern separation technique.

中文翻译：

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响应面法从草酸介导的微波辅助提取可可豆皮中的果胶

可可荚果皮有可能成为天然果胶的来源，而不是作为废物处理。有效的提取过程可以提供足够量的果胶。这项研究的目的是分析微波辅助提取从廉价和较温和的酸化剂草酸介导的可可豆荚果胶中分离果胶的性能。进行了响应面法研究pH，液固比和辐照时间对果胶提取量的影响。我们的模型表明，降低液体与固体的比例不会显着影响提取率。较高的草酸浓度（即较低的pH值）和延长的辐照时间可提高产量，但酯化程度却降低，这会影响果胶的胶凝能力。与传统方法相比，该技术还大大缩短了提取时间。我们的发现补充了微波辅助萃取作为现代分离技术的应用。