Characteristics and Food Function of Cell Wall Components in Some Fruits

Abstract

To study the relationships between compositional feature and food functionality of the cell wall components of fruit, profiles of cell wall components (cellulose, hemi-cellulose, pectic polysaccharides, lignin and non-extractable procyanidins) and food function (bile acid-binding and DPPH radical-scavenging activities) of 6 fruits (blueberry, pear, apple, Chinese quince, quince and hawthorn) were investigated. The composition of cell wall components and their concentrations varied with the fruit, and the bile acid-binding activity and DPPH radical-scavenging activity of alcohol insoluble solids (AIS) prepared from each fruit also varied. Especially with regard to DPPH radical-scavenging activity, lignin and procyanidin concentrations in AIS correlated strongly with the activity. These findings suggest that cell wall-bound phenolics are important components as a portion of dietary fiber for increasing their health beneficial function.Key Words：bile acid binding activity, dietary fiber, lignin, procyanidin, radical scavenging activity