Origin and historyEdit Inulin is a natural storage carbohydrate present in more than 36,000 species of plants including wheat, onion, bananas, garlic, asparagus, and chicory. For these plants, inulin is used for reserving energy as well as regulating cold resistance.[3][4] It is osmotically active for it is soluble in water. The plants can change the osmotic potential of cells by changing the degree of polymerization of inulin molecules with hydrolysis process. Being able to change osmotic potential without changing the total amount of carbohydrate, plants can withstand cold and drought during winter periods.[5] Inulin was discovered in 1804 by German scientist Valentin Rose. He found “a peculiar substance” fromInula helenium roots by boiling water extraction.[5] The substance was named inulin because of Inula helenium, but it is also called helenin, alatin, meniantin, etc. Indigestible polysaccharides were of great scientific concern in the beginning of the twentieth century.[6] Irvine used chemical method like methylation to study the molecule structure of inulin, and designed the isolation method for this new anhydrofructose.[6][7]During the studies of renal tubule in 1930s, researches searched for a substance which can be a biomarker that is not absorbed or diffused after introducing into the tubule.[8][9] Richards introduced inulin because of its high molecular weight and its resistance to enzymes.[8] Today, inulin is provided by industry as active ingredient for functional foods;[4]and it is also used for determination of the glomerular filtration rate.[10] Chemical structure and propertiesEdit
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 15:53:17 +0000
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