Inulin fructans - food applications and alternative plant sources: a review

Fructans are water soluble, non-digestible fructose polymers found as storage polysaccharides in certain plants. They are classified as inulin-type, graminan-type and branched-type, while the former being the most extensively researched fructan type. Inulin fructans vary in different plants, with respect to the chain length, degree of polymerisation and molecular weight. Being one of the most versatile functional food ingredients, inulin fructans are well known for their unique bifidogenic and prebiotic properties as well as techno-functional properties including fibre enhancing, fat and sugar replacing and viscosity and texture modifying attributes in food systems. Therefore, incorporation of inulin fructans into more frequently consumed dairy and non-dairy products has become an emerging trend in the food industry. Despite the commercial manufacture of inulin fructans from chicory, a growing interest has emerged to extract this functional ingredient from inulin-rich alternative plant sources including jerusalem artichoke, globe artichoke, yacon, burdock, asparagus species, garlic, agave and dandelion, which can potentially be good sources of inulin for food and nutraceutical applications in future. This review provides an in-depth insight of inulin fructans including the chemistry, food applications and health benefits, and also giving special reference to alternative plant sources.