Inulin

Abstract

Introduction Historical Outline Chemical Structure Natural Occurrence Physiological Function Chemical Analysis and Detection High‐performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Gas Chromatography HPAEC Analysis (Dionex) Permethylation Quantitative Determination of Inulin and Oligofructose in Food Quantitative Determination of Inulin in Food Biosynthesis Synthesis of Microbial Fructan In vitro Synthesis of FOS Synthesis of Inulin from Plant Origin (Asteraceae) Biodegradation Plant Endogenous Degradation In vitro Hydrolysis by Yeast and Mold Enzymes Production FOS Production Starting from Sucrose Commercial Inulin of Plant Origin Commercial Production of Inulin and FOS Scale of Production Properties Physical and Chemical Properties Material Properties Biological Properties Food Applications Non‐food Developments and Applications Outlook and Perspectives Patents Acknowledgements

Technological proposal for a garlic-derived inulin extraction process

“…Inulin industrial production is mostly derivate from chicory root [2]. Nevertheless, there are other plant species in literature that have shown to be an alternative source of inulin, as greater burdock [3], agave [4], Dioscorea sp.…”

Structural and Kinetic Insights Reveal That the Amino Acid Pair Gln-228/Asn-254 Modulates the Transfructosylating Specificity of Schwanniomyces occidentalis β-Fructofuranosidase, an Enzyme That Produces Prebiotics

“…These compounds are related to carbohydrate storage and the processes of drought and freezing tolerance in plants (1). In addition, FOS are considered prebiotics because they selectively stimulate the growth/activity of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria from the animal digestive tract (1,2) and exert a beneficial effect on human health, thus contributing to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, and osteoporosis (3). Different types of FOS series can be distinguished depending on the linkage type between the monosaccharide residues:…”

Inulin

“…The first stage includes the extraction and a primary purification step resulting in raw impure syrup. The second stage is the refining phase which results in a commercial end product that is more than 99.5% pure (De Leenheer, 1996;Franck and De Leenheer, 2002).…”

“…To make a solution of inulin, the use of warm water between 50 • C and 100 • C is suggested. The viscosity of chicory inulin solutions is rather low, for example 1.65 mPa s at 10 • C for a 5% dry matter (DM) solution and 100 mPa s for a 30% DM solution (Franck and De Leenheer, 2002). Inulin exerts a small effect on the freezing and boiling point of water; for example 15% chicory inulin decreases the freezing point by 0.5 • C.…”

“…One pioneer in fructan research was the German plant physiologist Julius Sachs (Sachs, 1864), who detected inulin in the tubers of dahlia, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and I. helenium after ethanol precipitation. Already, from the beginning of the twentieth century, feeding diabetic patients with inulin was reported to be beneficial (Root and Baker, 1925), and especially since the 1990s, a spectacular increase in the number of publications dealing with the technological and nutritional benefits has been observed (Franck and De Leenheer, 2002). …”