Structure, physicochemical properties and in vitro fermentation of enzymatically degraded cell wall materials from apples

Cell wall materials (CWM) prepared from apple parenchyma tissue by treatment with commercial enzymes for maceration, mash fermentation and liquefaction were characterised with regard to their composition and structure as well as their physicochemical and physiological properties. Increasing enzymatic degradation of the CWM resulted in growing loss of the pectin matrix, decreasing porosity as well as increasing particle aggregation. Due to these structural alterations the water binding, the viscoelastic properties of the CWM-water-suspensions and the in vitro fermentation, forming short chain fatty acids, were reduced. The investigations showed that interrelations exist between enzymatic treatment and changes of (i) structure and state of matrices (evaluated by means of thermal analysis), (ii) physicochemical properties and (iii) physiological properties. So the application of liquefying enzymes can lead to a complete removal of the pectin matrix, causing an essentially improved thermal stability of the CWM preparation, but strongly reduced water binding and reduced structure-forming properties into the CWM-water-suspensions. The formation of short-chain fatty acids during in vitro fermentation of the CWM preparations by fresh human faeces flora depended on the portion and the state of the pectin matrix and the cellulose network, respectively.