AC-45710 - inulin-from-chicory-root | 9005-80-5

Inulin is a prebiotic dietary fibre with a mildly sweet taste that promotes digestive health by supporting growth of healthy and balanced microbiota. In diagnostics, inulin is used for determining the glomerular filtration rate in functional kidney testing. Chemically, inulin is a chain of fructose molecules terminated at the reducing end with glucose. Thus, inulin is a fructan consisting of linear chains of β-(2,1) linked fructose residues, terminated at the reducing end by an α-D-(1,2)-glucopyranoside moiety.  It has a degree of polymerization typically between 2 and 60 (5). The β-(2,1) bond in inulin resists digestion in the gastrointestinal tract and is therefore responsible for its lower caloric value and beneficial effects on colon microbiota. A more functional form of inulin is produced by removing all fractions with chain lengths lower than 10.