Boosting the Functional Potential of Pectin: Recent Progress in Antimicrobial Applications through Structural Modifications (2020-2025)

Abstract: Biopolymers have garnered increasing attention in recent years due to their biodegradability, renewability, and functional versatility, making them ideal candidates for various biomedical, food, and environmental applications. Among these, pectin, a plant-derived heteropolysaccharide, has emerged as a promising natural polymer owing to its excellent gelling, emulsifying, and biocompatible properties. However, native pectin often exhibits limited antimicrobial activity, which constrains its broader application in antimicrobial formulations. To overcome this limitation, recent research has focused on structural modifications of pectin through physical, chemical, and enzymatic approaches to enhance its bioactivity. These modifications, such as grafting with antimicrobial agents, crosslinking, derivatization with phenolic compounds, or incorporation of metal ions, have significantly improved its antimicrobial efficiency against a broad spectrum of pathogens. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements (2020-2025) in the development of modified pectin-based materials with boosted antimicrobial potential. It outlines the key modification strategies and highlights the mechanisms by which modified pectin exerts antimicrobial effects. Moreover, the review explores various applications of these materials in food preservation, wound healing, packaging, and pharmaceutical formulations.