The Metabolism of Fructooligosaccharides and Fructooligosaccharide-Related Compounds in Plants

Abstract

Fructooligosaccharides are the most studied prebiotics. They are fructose oligomers linked to glucose and/or fructose molecules that contain up to ten sugar moieties. Fructooligosaccharides have both functional (physiologically beneficial to health) and technological properties. The aim of this article is to review published plant sources of different fructooligosaccharide types and production mechanisms, since the properties depend on the molecular structure. Fructooligosaccharide metabolizing enzymes, sources of specific fructooligosaccharide isomers and factors affecting their profiles reported in the plant species are also included.

Keywords:

• prebiotic
• fructooligosaccharide
• oligofructose
• 1-kestose
• inulooligos-accharide
• enzyme
• neokestose
• bifurcose

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Murat Yıldız, M. Sait Dilek, and Salim Dilek for their critical support and encouragement of the manuscript.