Review article

INULIN AND OLIGOFRUCTOSE IN DIET AND DISEASE PREVENTION

Dubravka Vitali Čepo ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet, Zavod za kemiju prehrane
Irena Vedrina Dragojević ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Farmaceutsko-biokemijski fakultet, Zavod za kemiju prehrane

Abstract

Inulin (I) and oligofructose (OF) are (2-1)-fructans with different degrees of polymerization (DP). Oligofructose (DP 2-20) is usually produced from chicory inulin (DP 3-60) using chemical degradation or controlled enzymatic hydrolysis with endoglycosidase enzymes.
Nowadays they are being recognized as important functional food ingredients due to their ability to affect numerous physiological and biochemical processes resulting in maintaining health and reduction of the risk of certain diseases. They primarily act as prebiotics by
stimulating the growth of intestinal bifidobacteria. In addition, they also induce changes in colonic epithelium stimulating proliferation in the crypts, changing the profile of mucine and modulating endocrine and immune functions reducing in such ways colon cancer incidence.
Depending on their DP and daily dose, I and OF also promote the absorption of certain nutritionally important minerals to various extent, especially Ca and Mg, acting as antiosteoporotic agents. Animal studies demonstrate that inulin-type fructans affect the
metabolism of lipids, primarily by decreasing hypertriglyceridaemia probably by decreasing the synthesis of triglycerides and fatty acids in liver. In addition to their beneficial health protecting properties, I and OF also possess very specific technological characteristics that enable their use in food industry as fat or sugar replacers in
development of novel functional food products with improved nutritional and organoleptic characteristics.

Keywords

inulin; oligofructose; functional foods; prebiotics

Hrčak ID:

87444

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/87444

Publication date:

30.4.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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