Inulin, a flexible oligosaccharide I: Review of its physicochemical characteristics

Maarten A. Mensink, Henderik W. Frijlink, Kees van der Voort Maarschalk, Wouter L. J. Hinrichs*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

380 Citations (Scopus)
226 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Inulin, a fructan-type polysaccharide, consists of (2 -> 1) linked beta-D-fructosyl residues (n = 2-60), usually with an (1 2) alpha-D-glucose end group. The applications of inulin and its hydrolyzed florin oligofructose (n = 2-10) are diverse. It is widely used in food industry to modify texture, replace fat or as low-calorie sweetener. Additionally, it has several applications in other fields like the pharmaceutical arena. Most notably it is used as a diagnostic agent for kidney function and as a protein stabilizer. This work reviews the physicochemical characteristics of inulin that make it such a versatile substance. Topics that are addressed include morphology (crystal morphology, crystal structure, structure in solution); solubility; rheology (viscosity, hydrodynamic shape, gelling); thermal characteristics and physical stability (glass transition temperature, vapor sorption, melting temperature) and chemical stability. When using inulin, the degree of polymerization and processing history should be taken into account, as they have a large impact on physicochemical behavior of inulin. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)405-419
Number of pages15
JournalCarbohydrate Polymers
Volume130
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5-Oct-2015

Keywords

  • Physical
  • Chemical
  • Carbohydrate
  • Polysaccharide
  • Oligofructose
  • Polymer
  • DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETRY
  • HELIANTHUS-TUBEROSUS-L.
  • MOLECULAR-WEIGHT
  • GLASS-TRANSITION
  • FOOD-PRODUCTS
  • RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION
  • POLYSACCHARIDE INULIN
  • METHACRYLATED INULIN
  • DIMETHYL-SULFOXIDE
  • BIOPOLYMER INULIN

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