Analysis of inulin and fructans in Taraxacum officinale L. roots as the main inulin-containing component of antidiabetic herbal mixture

Abstract

Herbs and their combinations due to the wide range of biologically active substances can influence on various links of the pathogenetic mechanism of development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. One of such combinations is an antidiabetic herbal mixture with established hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, pancreatoprotective activity in previous pharmacological study in vivo that including an inulin-containing component – Taraxacum officinale L. roots. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the quantitative content of inulin and fructans in Taraxacum officinale L. Quantity content of inulin was determined by the difference between fructose as a product of enzymatic hydrolysis and D-fructose, a constituent of sucrose and free D-fructose, taking into account the empirical factor for the conversion of D-fructose from inulin. Carbohydrates used in the calculation of inulin were separated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after conversion into volatile derivatives as aldononitrile acetate. According to the results, Taraxacum officinale L. roots contain 436.29 mg/g of inulin. Total content of fructans was determined by spectrophotometric analysis as a product of acid hydrolysis of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural. The results show that Taraxacum officinale L. roots contain 39.49% of fructans. The obtained results are evidence that this plant component should be included in the herbal antidiabetic mixture, because due to the presence of fructans and inulin causes hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and detoxification activity.

Effect of the Addition of Dried Dandelion Roots (Taraxacum officinale F. H. Wigg.) on Wheat Dough and Bread Properties

“…In addition, the partial replacement of wheat flour with other plant raw materials, containing no gluten proteins but rich in fiber, results in a less cohesive and weaker dough structure due to the lower amount of gluten proteins [36]. Literature [6] shows that the dried roots of Taraxacum officinale used in the study are rich in inulin, a polysaccharide indigestible in the human digestive tract and classified as dietary fiber. The mentioned authors determined the content of this component in the roots of TO at the level of 436.29 mg g −1 .…”

“…Large amounts of sesquiterpene lactones are also found in the roots, where coumarins and phenolic acids are also present [3,5]. In addition, the root contains inulin, a polysaccharide with probiotic properties classified as dietary fiber, which is not found in other anatomical parts of this plant [6]. Dandelion roots and leaves are believed to be quite safe, with no side effects or risks of allergic reactions.…”

“…Taraxacum officinale F. H. Wigg. exhibit antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotective properties [1,3,[6][7][8][9]. The antioxidant properties are due to the presence of many bioactive metabolites belonging to different groups, mainly phenolic compounds [10,11], as well as flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, reducing sugars, and tannins [8,11].…”

Polysaccharides from Medicinal Plants: Bridging Ancestral Knowledge with Contemporary Science

“…Elecampane, chicory (especially root), and Jerusalem artichokes are the most common industrial sources for inulin extraction [17]. Nevertheless, medicinal plants such as Taraxacum officinale L. (Dandelion) roots have been described as rich sources of this polysaccharide [18]. Inulins and other fructans have even been described as potential immunomodulators, mainly by interaction with pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) [19,20].…”