The Role of Sugar Beet Pulp Polysaccharides in the Sustainability of the Sugar Beet Industry

摘要

Sugar beet pulp was sequentially extracted with a microwave heating source under pressure to produce pectin, alkaline soluble polysaccharides, and cellulose which was converted into carboxymethyl-cellulose. The solution physical-chemical properties of these polysaccharides were compared to those obtained using other extraction methods. The molar mass, radius of gyration, and intrinsic viscosity quality of these sugar beet polysaccharides was very high compared to values reported in previous literature. A sugar beet biorefinery is discussed that could produce valuable polysaccharide co-products in addition to providing feedstocks for biofuel fermentation in conjunction with sucrose production. These methods and new co-products would improve the sustainability of sugar beet processing by reducing energy costs, replacing petroleum-based products, and decreasing chemical input to produce a common food gum.