Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many types of plants, industrially most often extracted from chicory. The inulins belong to a class of dietary fibers known as fructans. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing energy and is typically found in roots or rhizomes. Most plants that synthesize and store inulin do not store other forms of carbohydrate such as starch. In the United States in 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved inulin as a dietary fiber ingredient used to improve the nutritional value of manufactured food products. Using inulin to measure kidney function is the "gold standard" for comparison with other means of estimating glomerular filtration rate.
An oligosaccharide is a saccharide polymer containing a small number of monosaccharides. Oligosaccharides can have many functions including cell recognition and cell binding. For example, glycolipids have an important role in the immune response.
Fructose malabsorption, formerly named "dietary fructose intolerance" (DFI), is a digestive disorder in which absorption of fructose is impaired by deficient fructose carriers in the small intestine's enterocytes. This results in an increased concentration of fructose in the entire intestine. Intolerance to fructose was first identified and reported in 1956.
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) also sometimes called oligofructose or oligofructan, are oligosaccharide fructans, used as an alternative sweetener. FOS exhibits sweetness levels between 30 and 50 percent of sugar in commercially prepared syrups. It occurs naturally, and its commercial use emerged in the 1980s in response to consumer demand for healthier and calorie-reduced foods.
Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The most common example is in the gastrointestinal tract, where prebiotics can alter the composition of organisms in the gut microbiome.
A fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules. Fructans with a short chain length are known as fructooligosaccharides. Fructans occur in foods such as agave, artichokes, asparagus, leeks, garlic, onions, yacón, jícama, and wheat.
Agave nectar is a sweetener commercially produced from several species of agave, including Agave tequilana and Agave salmiana. Blue agave syrup contains 56% fructose as a sugar providing sweetening properties.
In enzymology, an inulin fructotransferase (DFA-I-forming) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, an inulin fructotransferase (DFA-III-forming) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a levan fructotransferase (DFA-IV-forming) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, an inulosucrase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Levansucrase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a sucrose:sucrose fructosyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Sinistrin is a naturally occurring sugar polymer or polysaccharide, also known as polyfructosane. It belongs to the fructan group, like inulin. As it is the case with similar substances, such as fructans or inulin, sinistrin acts as an energy storage molecule in plants.
Inulinase is an enzyme with systematic name 1-beta-D-fructan fructanohydrolase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
2,6-beta-fructan 6-levanbiohydrolase is an enzyme with systematic name (2->6)-beta-D-fructofuranan 6-(beta-D-fructosyl)-D-fructose-hydrolase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Levanase is an enzyme with systematic name (2->6)-beta-D-fructan fructanohydrolase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Fructan beta-fructosidase is an enzyme with systematic name beta-D-fructan fructohydrolase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Fructan beta-(2,1)-fructosidase is an enzyme with systematic name beta-(2->1)-D-fructan fructohydrolase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
