•Chemical structure and biosynthesis of fructans from plants were described.•The extraction and purification of inulin-type fructans were approached.•Analytical techniques for characterization of ...polysaccharides are reported.•Recent biotechnological applications of inulin are described.
Inulin is a natural storage polysaccharide with a large variety of food and pharmaceutical applications. It is widely distributed in plants, being present as storage carbohydrate in more than 30,000 vegetable products. Due to their wide distribution in nature and significant role in industry, the extraction, isolation and characterization of inulin-type fructans are gaining attention in recent years. Inulin sources have recently received increasing interest as they are a renewable raw material for the production of bioethanol, fructose syrup, single-cell protein and single cell oil, obtainment of fructooligosaccharides and other useful products. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art of biochemical and pharmaceutical technology of inulin-type fructans.
Inulin-type fructans (ITFs) are a type of fermentable dietary fiber that can confer beneficial health effects through changes in the gut microbiota. However, their effect on gut sensitivity and ...nutritional behavior is a matter of debate.
We evaluated the impact of consuming ITF-rich vegetables daily on gut microbiota, gastro-intestinal symptoms, and food-related behavior in healthy individuals.
A single group-design trial was conducted in 26 healthy individuals. During 2 wk, the participants were instructed to adhere to a controlled diet based on ITF-rich vegetables (providing a mean intake of 15 g ITF/d). Three test days were organized: before and after the nutritional intervention and 3 wk after returning to their usual diet. We assessed nutrient intake, food-related behavior, fecal microbiota composition, microbial fermentation, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
The major microbial modifications during the intervention were an increased proportion of the Bifidobacterium genus, a decreased level of unclassified Clostridiales, and a tendency to decrease Oxalobacteraceae. These changes were reversed 3 wk after the intervention. The volunteers showed greater satiety, a reduced desire to eat sweet, salty, and fatty food, and a trend to increase hedonic attitudes towards some inulin-rich vegetables. Only flatulence episodes were reported during the dietary intervention, whereas intestinal discomfort, inversely associated with Clostridium cluster IV and Ruminococcus callidus, was improved at the end of the intervention.
A higher consumption of ITF-rich vegetables allows a substantial increase in well-tolerated dietary fiber, which may in turn improve food-related behavior. Moreover, it leads to beneficial modifications of the gut microbiota composition and function. This trial is registered at clinicaltrial.gov as NCT03540550.
•Inulin production and its physicochemical properties are elucidated.•Preventive role of inulin against gastrointestinal complications like constipation.•Inulin consumption enhances the absorption of ...minerals and stimulates immune system.•Wide applications in food industry as fat and sugar replacer as well as dietary fiber.
Inulin is a water soluble storage polysaccharide and belongs to a group of non-digestible carbohydrates called fructans. Inulin has attained the GRAS status in USA and is extensively available in about 36,000 species of plants, amongst, chicory roots are considered as the richest source of inulin. Commonly, inulin is used as a prebiotic, fat replacer, sugar replacer, texture modifier and for the development of functional foods in order to improve health due to its beneficial role in gastric health. This review provides a deep insight about its production, physicochemical properties, role in combating various kinds of metabolic and diet related diseases and utilization as a functional ingredient in novel product development.
Summary
In this study, double long‐chain inulin phosphate (PDFXL) was prepared by chemically modifying long‐chain inulin (FXL) through phosphorylation. The effects of FXL and PDFXL on the rheological ...properties of low gluten (L‐G), medium gluten (M‐G), and high gluten (H‐G) dough were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT‐IR) and rheometer. The FT‐IR and solubility results indicated that PDFXL exhibited stronger hydrophilicity and promoted protein cross‐linking. Rheological tests revealed that the apparent viscosity of L‐G, M‐G, and H‐G dough decreased with increasing shear rate. Notably, M‐G PDFXL doughs exhibited higher shear thinning behaviour. Additionally, in the frequency and temperature sweep test, M‐G and H‐G PDFXL doughs showed higher elasticity and viscous modulus. This study reveals the modification effect of phosphorylation on FXL, providing a scientific foundation for the comprehensive application of PDFXL in flour products.
The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of phosphorylated long‐chain inulin (PDFXL), which is prepared through the chemical modification of long‐chain inulin (FXL) via phosphorylation, on the rheological properties of wheat dough with different gluten contents.
Abstract There is an ongoing need for new adjuvants to facilitate development of vaccines against HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and cancer, amongst many others. Unfortunately, the most potent adjuvants ...are often associated with toxicity and safety issues. Inulin, a plant-derived polysaccharide, has no immunological activity in its native soluble form but when crystallized into a stable microcrystalline particulate from (delta inulin) acquires potent adjuvant activity. Delta inulin has been shown to enhance humoral and cellular immune responses against a broad range of co-administered viral, bacterial, parasitic and toxin antigens. Inulin normally crystallizes as large heterogeneous particles with a broad size distribution and variable solubility temperatures. To ensure reproducible delta inulin particles with a consistent size distribution and temperature of solubility, a current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) process was designed to produce Advax™ adjuvant. In its cCMP form, Advax™ adjuvant has proved successful in human trials of vaccines against seasonal and pandemic influenza, hepatitis B and insect sting anaphylaxis, enhancing antibody and T-cell responses while being safe and well tolerated. Advax™ adjuvant represents a novel human adjuvant that enhances both humoral and cellular immunity. This review describes the discovery and development of Advax™ adjuvant and research into its unique mechanism of action.
To investigate the underlying mechanisms behind changes in glucose homeostasis with delivery of propionate to the human colon by comprehensive and coordinated analysis of gut bacterial composition, ...plasma metabolome and immune responses.
Twelve non-diabetic adults with overweight and obesity received 20 g/day of inulin-propionate ester (IPE), designed to selectively deliver propionate to the colon, a high-fermentable fibre control (inulin) and a low-fermentable fibre control (cellulose) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. Outcome measurements of metabolic responses, inflammatory markers and gut bacterial composition were analysed at the end of each 42-day supplementation period.
Both IPE and inulin supplementation improved insulin resistance compared with cellulose supplementation, measured by homeostatic model assessment 2 (mean±SEM 1.23±0.17 IPE vs 1.59±0.17 cellulose, p=0.001; 1.17±0.15 inulin vs 1.59±0.17 cellulose, p=0.009), with no differences between IPE and inulin (p=0.272). Fasting insulin was only associated positively with plasma tyrosine and negatively with plasma glycine following inulin supplementation. IPE supplementation decreased proinflammatory interleukin-8 levels compared with cellulose, while inulin had no impact on the systemic inflammatory markers studied. Inulin promoted changes in gut bacterial populations at the class level (increased Actinobacteria and decreased Clostridia) and order level (decreased Clostridiales) compared with cellulose, with small differences at the species level observed between IPE and cellulose.
These data demonstrate a distinctive physiological impact of raising colonic propionate delivery in humans, as improvements in insulin sensitivity promoted by IPE and inulin were accompanied with different effects on the plasma metabolome, gut bacterial populations and markers of systemic inflammation.
•Olive leaves extract (OLE) was spray-dried with inulin (IN) or maltodextrin (MD).•Encapsulation of OLE protected oleuropein (OE) from gastrointestinal conditions.•OE reached the colon when OLE–MD ...and OLE–IN microparticles were digested.•OE bioaccessibility was higher in OLE–MD than in OLE–IN microparticles.•Encapsulation of OLE did not increase the OE potential bioavailability.
Olive leaves extract (OLE) was spray-dried with maltodextrin (MD) or inulin (IN) to study the evolution of oleuropein (OE) during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, its bioaccessibility and potential bioavailability. In the case of OLE–MD, OE was partially degraded in gastric and intestinal conditions; whereas in OLE–IN, OE was released under gastric conditions and partially degraded under intestinal conditions. In both cases, the encapsulation of OLE led to higher OE contents at the end of digestion, compared with non-encapsulated OLE, suggesting a protective role of the polysaccharides by the formation of non-covalent polysaccharides–OE complexes. OE bioaccessibility was ten times higher (p ≤ 0.05) in OLE–MD and OLE–IN than in non-encapsulated OLE. However, OE potential bioavailability, evaluated by tangential filtration, was not detected. Encapsulation technology and the encapsulant agent used may determine the release of the encapsulated compounds at a specific-site and their effect on health.
Contrary to the long-standing prerequisite of inducing selective (ie, bifidogenic) effects, recent findings suggest that prebiotic interventions lead to ecosystem-wide microbiota shifts. Yet, a ...comprehensive characterisation of this process is still lacking. Here, we apply 16S rDNA microbiota profiling and matching (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) metabolomics to assess the consequences of inulin fermentation both on the composition of the colon bacterial ecosystem and faecal metabolites profiles.
Faecal samples collected during a double-blind, randomised, cross-over intervention study set up to assess the effect of inulin consumption on stool frequency in healthy adults with mild constipation were analysed. Faecal microbiota composition and metabolite profiles were linked to the study's clinical outcome as well as to quality-of-life measurements recorded.
While faecal metabolite profiles were not significantly altered by inulin consumption, our analyses did detect a modest effect on global microbiota composition and specific inulin-induced changes in relative abundances of
,
and
were identified. The observed decrease in
abundances following inulin consumption was associated with both softer stools and a favourable change in constipation-specific quality-of-life measures.
Ecosystem-wide analysis of the effect of a dietary intervention with prebiotic inulin-type fructans on the colon microbiota revealed that this effect is specifically associated with three genera, one of which (
) representing a promising novel target for mechanistic research.
NCT02548247.
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