Pectin, Modified citrus pectin, Toxic metals, Arsenic, Lead, PectaSol, Lead, Cadmium, Lanthanum metals

Pectin – An Alternative to Synthetic Chelators?

By Eleonore Blaurock-Busch, PhD

Pectins are considered an essential primary cell wall component of all higher flowering plants. The average contents of pectin in a plant’s cell walls can be 30%. Pectin-rich sources are sugar-beet pulp, apple pomace, and citrus peels. Pectins are commonly used in food industry as gel-forming, thickening and stabilizing agents, and emulsifiers. Pectins are also obtained from marine plants such as seagrasses and are an important nutrient in the human diet as they are a major component of dietary fiber. Pectins have been reported to bind heavy metals, to lower serum cholesterol levels, and to have immune-stimulating and anti-ulcer activities [Marounek 2007; Vos 2007].

The ability of pectins to bind metal cations in water has been studied. It has been demonstrated that pectin’s adsorbant ability is useful for the removal of toxic metals from aqueous waste streams (Kusrini 2018). Human studies indicate that pectin increased the urinary excretion of toxic elements. (Eliaz 2006)

Apparently, this effect is caused by the presence of non-methyl esterified-galacturonosyl residues, and the reduction of the degree of esterification, which causes a dramatic increase of the metal-binding capacity of pectins. In a study, published in 2012, Russian researchers focused on the cerium binding activity of water-soluble pectin compounds and demonstrated that not all pectins have equal metal binding. “The obvious mechanism of sorption is related to the formation of covalent and hydrogen bonds between the metal ions and non-esterified carboxyl groups and hydrogen atoms located on the pectin molecules and acting as the binding sites.” (Khotimchenko 2012)

Khotimchenko and colleagues stated that the source of the pectins and their chemical structure influence metal binding: “The main parameter affecting metal uptake of pectins is the amount of carboxyl group which are not occupied by methyl radical i.e., degree of esterification. The lower the degree of esterification, the larger is the amount of metal that can be bound by pectin molecules.” The authors conclude that “commercially high esterified pectins barely bind metals.”

Removing Metals with Pectin

Pectins as well as other dietary fibers with high degree polymerization are neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine [Lattimer 2010]. Therefore, they exert their binding properties in intestinal lumen. As the major part of cerium ions are concentrated in enterocytes of the proximal intestine [Floren 2001], the pectin molecules can easily interact with the metal.

There are studies confirming the possibility for application of the pectins for removal of heavy metals from the human body [Zhao 2008].

In a 2006 study, Eliaz et al evaluated the effect of modified citrus pectin (MCP) on the urinary excretion of toxic elements in healthy individuals and the results are worthy of attention. The abstract reads as follows:

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of modified citrus pectin (MCP) on the urinary excretion of toxic elements in healthy individuals. MCP is a reduced molecular weight pectin (weight-average molar mass=15400) that is mostly linear homogalacturonan with a 3.8% degree of esterification and approximately 10% rhamnogalacturonan II based on the presence of 2-keto-3-deoxy-octonic acid. Subjects ingested 15 g of MCP (PectaSol®) each day for 5 days and 20 g on day 6. Twenty-four hour urine samples were collected on day 1 and day 6 for comparison with baseline. The urine samples were analysed for toxic and essential elements. In the first 24 h of MCP administration the urinary excretion of arsenic increased significantly (130%, p < 0.05). On day 6, urinary excretion was increased significantly for cadmium (150%, p < 0.05). In addition, lead showed a dramatic increase in excretion (560%, p < 0.08). This pilot trial provides the first evidence that oral administration of MCP increases significantly the urinary excretion of toxic metals in subjects with a ‘normal’ body load of metals. It is suggested that systemic chelation of toxic metals by MCP may in part be attributable to the presence of rhamnogalacturonan II, which has been shown previously to chelate metals.

The authors concluded that “No significant changes in the excretion of Al, Sb, Be, Bi, Ni, Pt, Tl, Th, U, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Se and Fe were observed.”

Pectin is a complex plant polysaccharide consisting of homogalacturonan. Eliaz and his team documented that treatment with pectin significantly increased the urinary excretion of arsenic, cadmium and lead. (Eliaz 2006). Tahiri et al reported that the pectin-induced oral chelation was specific for Pb, Ba, Sr, La, Eu, Ce, Pr and Nd, whereas essential cations such as Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Cu are not bound (Tahiri 2000). Moreover, the efficacy of the apple pectin in reduction of 137Cs-storage in the “Chernobyl” children body was shown [Nesterenko 2004].

An excerpt of the Eliaz study protocol reads as follows:

Subjects ingested 15 g of PectaSol® modified citrus pectin (MCP) in three divided doses each day for 5 days and 20 g in four divided doses on day 6. Fifteen grams of MCP was selected for this pilot trial based on this clinical observation. An acute increase in urinary excretion was expected, but the magnitude of that increase was unknown. The increased amount of pectin ingested on day 6 was used in case the smaller amount did not give detectable changes in the urinary excretion of toxic metals. More than 20 g was not used in order to avoid potential intestinal discomfort from the high fiber content of the pectin. Prior to commencing the MCP ingestion, the subjects collected a 24 h urine sample as a baseline. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were collected on day 1 and day 6 for comparison.

Eliaz also mentioned a previous study using 15 g a day MCP to attenuate the progression of prostate cancer in men with biochemical relapse (Guess 2003). A reduction in heavy metals, in particular mercury, was observed in men using MCP at 15 g a day long term as part of their prostate cancer treatment (Eliaz, 2006).

Pectins and the Treatment of Metal Overexposure

Over the years, a handful of physicians, mostly those working with children or neurological patients have used pectin for metal detoxification. One of the first were Drs. Marcus Mazzuka and his sister Dr. Rosella Mazzuka, paediatricans whom I’ve known for many years. They run clinics in Rome, Madrid, and Palma de Mallorca where I had visited them some time ago. Just recently and after the gadolinium controversy, which shed light on pectin again, I corresponded with Dr. Marcus. According to him, he and his sister have treated many children with a product named Pectasol. Most of the children responded well, maybe 3% suffered stomach pain that was solved when doses were reduced. Only two children out of more than one thousand showed a skin rash without pruritus.

The dosage Drs. Mazzuka use is 70 mg x kg/day, given with or without meal, 0-0-1, 1-0-1 or 1-1-1, depending on age and the patient’s gastrointestinal health. Patients with GI problems are ruled out. According to Dr. Marcus, the classic administration of oral pectin is giving one dose 1hour before or after breakfast, lunch and dinner. According to him, “the detoxification effect are good but not excellent” (www.prof-dr-marcos-mazzuka.com; www.medicosenconsulta.com).

To verify this statement, we statistically evaluated urine tests that we received from Drs. Mazzuka and three other European clinics. A total of 143 urine tests were evaluated statistically. The urine collection time was tow-to-six hours; for about 10 patients the urine collection time was between 8-24 hours. We established the mean value and standard deviation as can be seen from Table 1 and compared these with the mean and standard deviation of baseline (=unchallenged) urines.

Table 1: Comparing Urine Excretion: Pectin vs Baseline Urine

Values in µg/g creatinine, except zinc (Zn)

Data Evaluation

The highlighted values after the oral administration of pectin deserve attention. Values shown as italics may be of interest; however, aluminum (Al) is an element found in all plants and since we have no data on the aluminum content of pectin products, we hesitate to take a position on Al. Similarly, the slightly higher mean and standard deviation for Sb (antimony) do not signal pectin’s efficiency for chelating antimony. For lead (Pb), the mean is double that of the baseline mean, but the standard deviation leaves room for questions.

We cannot draw a conclusion from the gadolinium values shown here. The high standard deviation seen in baseline urine data indicates that some extreme values were seen in baseline urines. Since the pectin data in Table 1 is mostly from children, its comparatively low standard deviation makes sense.

Rare Earth Metals

A number of studies suggest that pectin has the ability to bind the rare earth lanthanum metals such as cerium and gadolinium.

The lanthanides, also called lanthanoids are a series of 15 elements, also known as rare earth elements. The group received its name because all these rare earth elements are chemically similar to the element lanthanum (La).

Cerium belongs to the lanthanide series as does gadolinium. These rare earth elements exert diverse biological effects mainly by their resemblance to calcium. Because of their diverse physical, chemical and biological effects, lanthanides have been used industrially in color TVs, lasers, binoculars, photographic cameras, and semiconductors. Lanthanides-enriched fertilizers are used (mainly consisting of cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium nitrates) to increase plant growth and because plants can accumulate lanthanides, this group of biologically non-necessary elements inevitably accumulates in the environment and is transferred to the human body through the food chain.

In medicine, cerium is used in anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral agents. Like other lanthanides, cerium has the ability to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells. (Palizban 2010). However, in vivo studies showed that lanthanides could accumulate in the liver, kidney, spleen, and lung, and adverse effects on organs, causing disturbance of the homeostasis of essential elements and enzymes [Feng 1996). Another problem is the negative influence of radioactive cerium on humans.

Khotimchenko and colleagues conclude that “it is essential to find an effective and safe method to remove radioisotopes from the human body.”

Kusrini et al demonstrated with waste-water studies that “pectin as a cost-effective biosorbent could remove lanthanum with efficiency” (Kusrini 2018).

Conclusion

Pectin’s ability to bind potentially toxic metals, including the lanthanide metals to which cerium and gadolinium belong, deserves attention.

References

Eliaz I, et al. The Effect of Modified Citrus Pectin on Urinary Excretion of Toxic Elements. Phytother. Res. 2006; 20:859–864.

Feng ZX, et al. Influence of intraperitoneal injection of rare earth compounds on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the level of lipid peroxidation in mice livers. J. Rare Earth. 1996; 14:66–69.

Flore, C, et al. Analytical microscopy observations of rat enterocytes after oral administration of soluble salts of lanthanides, actinides and elements of group III-A of the periodic chart. Cell Mol. Biol. 2001;47:419–425.

Guess BW, et al. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) increases the prostate-specific antigen doubling time in men with prostate cancer: a phase II pilot study. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2003;6: 301–304.

Khotimchenko Y, et al. Cerium Binding Activity of Pectins Isolated from the Seagrasses Zostera marina and Phyllospadix iwatensis. Marine Drugs 2012;10:834-848. www.mdpi.com/journal/marinedrugs

Kusrinia E, et al. Kinetics, mechanism, and thermodynamics of lanthanum adsorption on pectin extracted from durian rind. J Environm Chem Engineering 2018;6 :6580-6588.

Lattimer JM, Haub MD. Effects of dietary fiber and its components on metabolic health. Nutrients 2010; 2:1266–1289.

Lipoic acid. https://www.mssociety.org.uk/research/explore-our-research/emerging-research-and-treatments/explore-treatments-in-trials/lipoic-acid

Marounek M, et al. Effect of pectin and amidated pectin on cholesterol homeostasis and cecal metabolism in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. Physiol. Res.2007;56:433–442.

Nesterenko VB, et al. Reducing the 137Cs-load in the organism of “Chernobyl” children with apple-pectin. Swiss Med. Wkly. 2004;134:24–27.

Palizban AA, Sadeghi-aliabadi H, Abdollahpour F. Effect of cerium lanthanide on Hela and MCF-7 cancer cell growth in the presence of transferring. Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2010; 5(2): 119–125.

Tahiri M, et al. The rhamnogalacturonan-II dimer decreases intestinal absorption and tissue accumulation of lead in rats. J Nutr. 2000;130: 249–253.

Vos AP, et al. Dietary supplementation of neutral and acidic oligosaccharides enhances Th1-dependent vaccination responses in mice. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol. 2007;18: 304–312.

Zhao ZY, et al. The role of modified citrus pectin as an effective chelator of lead in children hospitalized with toxic lead levels. Altern Ther Health Med. 2008;14: 34–38.

About the author:

Abbreviated CV

Eleonore Blaurock-Busch PhD

has founded the US toxicology Laboratory TRACE MINERALS INTERNATIONAL INC of Boulder, Colorado in 1984 and MICRO TRACE MINERALS of Hersbruck, Germany in 1975. She is Research Director at Micro Trace Minerals Laboratory in Germany, founding member and co-chairman of the International Association of Trace Element Research and Cancer, and organizer of the first East-West World Congress on Trace Element and Cancer, held in Beijing, China in 1996. She is advisor to the German Medical Association of Clinical Metal Toxicologists and a member of the British Society for Ecological Medicine.

She has lectured worldwide at various universities and learning institutions and was a frequent guest speaker at radio and TV shows in the US, Germany and elsewhere. She was and is instrumental in environmental and laboratory research projects in metal toxicology, including epidemiological studies on cancer and autism, and continues to evaluate the toxic burden of people of various countries.

She published several books in German and English, and recently published the Toxic Metals and Antidotes. Handbook of Chelation Therapy. Her books have been translated into French, Portuguese and other languages. Some are utilized as teaching textbooks by colleges and teaching organisations. She is a regular columnist for various medical journals.

The above article is an excerpt of her forthcoming book, EVIDENCE-BASED CHELATION THERAPY. A Textbook with protocols, available soon through Amazon and other booksellers.