INULIN

EC / List no.: 232-684-3
CAS no.: 9005-80-5

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.

Origin and history
Inulin is a natural storage carbohydrate present in more than 36,000 species of plants, including agave, wheat, onion, bananas, garlic, asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, and chicory. 
For these plants, inulin is used as an energy reserve and for regulating cold resistance.
Because it is soluble in water, it is osmotically active. 
Certain plants can change the osmotic potential of their cells by changing the degree of polymerization of inulin molecules by hydrolysis. 
By changing osmotic potential without changing the total amount of carbohydrate, plants can withstand cold and drought during winter periods.

Inulin was discovered in 1804 by German scientist Valentin Rose. 
He found “a peculiar substance” from Inula helenium roots by boiling-water extraction.
In the 1920s, Irvine used chemical methods like methylation to study the molecular structure of inulin, and he designed the isolation method for this new anhydrofructose.
During studies of renal tubules in the 1930s, researchers searched for a substance that could serve as a biomarker that is not reabsorbed or secreted after introduction into tubules.
Richards introduced inulin because of its high molecular weight and its resistance to enzymes.
Inulin is used to determine glomerular filtration rate of the kidneys.

Chemical structure and properties
Inulin is a heterogeneous collection of fructose polymers. 
Inulin consists of chain-terminating glucosyl moieties and a repetitive fructosyl moiety, which are linked by β(2,1) bonds. 
The degree of polymerization (DP) of standard inulin ranges from 2 to 60. 
After removing the fractions with DP lower than 10 during manufacturing process, the remaining product is high-performance inulin.
Some articles considered the fractions with DP lower than 10 as short-chained fructo-oligosaccharides, and only called the longer-chained molecules inulin.

Because of the β(2,1) linkages, inulin is not digested by enzymes in the human alimentary system, contributing to its functional properties: reduced calorie value, dietary fiber, and prebiotic effects. 
Without color and odor, it has little impact on sensory characteristics of food products. 
Oligofructose has 35% of the sweetness of sucrose, and its sweetening profile is similar to sugar. 
Standard inulin is slightly sweet, while high-performance inulin is not. 
Its solubility is higher than the classical fibers. 
When thoroughly mixed with liquid, inulin forms a gel and a white creamy structure, which is similar to fat. 
Its three-dimensional gel network, consisting of insoluble submicron crystalline inulin particles, immobilizes a large amount of water, assuring its physical stability.
Inulin can also improve the stability of foams and emulsions.

Uses:
Harvesting and extraction
Chicory root is the main source of extraction for commercial production of inulin. 
The extraction process for inulin is similar to obtaining sugar from sugar beets.
After harvest, the chicory roots are sliced and washed, then soaked in a solvent, the inulin is then isolated, purified, and spray dried. 
Inulin may also be synthesized from sucrose.

Processed foods
Inulin received no-objection status as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including long-chain inulin as GRAS.
 In the early 21st century, the use of inulin in processed foods was due in part to its adaptable characteristics for manufacturing.
 Inulin is approved by the FDA as an ingredient to enhance the dietary fiber value of manufactured foods.
Its flavor ranges from bland to subtly sweet (about 10% of the sweetness of sugar/sucrose). 
Inulin can be used to replace sugar, fat, and flour. 
This is advantageous because inulin contains 25–35% of the food energy of carbohydrates (starch, sugar).
In addition to being a versatile ingredient, inulin provides nutritional advantages by increasing calcium absorption and possibly magnesium absorption, while promoting the growth of intestinal bacteria.
Chicory inulin is reported to increase absorption of calcium in young women with lower calcium absorption  and in young men.
In terms of nutrition, it is considered a form of soluble fiber and is sometimes categorized as a prebiotic.
Conversely, it is also considered a FODMAP, a class of carbohydrates which are rapidly fermented in the colon producing gas.
Although FODMAPs can cause certain digestive discomfort in some people, they produce potentially favorable alterations in the intestinal flora that contribute to maintaining health of the colon.

Due to the body's limited ability to process fructans, inulin has minimal increasing impact on blood sugar, and may potentially have use in managing blood sugar-related illnesses, such as metabolic syndrome.

Medical
Inulin and its analog sinistrin are used to help measure kidney function by determining the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is the volume of fluid filtered from the renal (kidney) glomerular capillaries into the Bowman's capsule per unit time.
While inulin is the gold standard for measuring the GFR, it is rarely used in practice due to the expense and difficulty in conducting the test.
Inulin requires intravenous (IV) access for the infusion of inulin as well as up to twelve blood samples taken from the patient over the course of four hours.
In the United States, creatinine clearance is more widely used to estimate GFR.

Inulin enhances the growth and activities of bacteria or inhibits growth or activities of certain pathogenic bacteria.

Research has linked it to several health benefits, such as helping control diabetes, aiding weight loss and improving digestive health.

A 2017 systematic review of clinical trial results showed that dietary supplementation with inulin reduced biomarkers of metabolic syndrome.

Biochemistry
Inulins are polymers composed mainly of fructose units (fructans), and typically have a terminal glucose. 
The fructose units in inulins are joined by a β(2→1) glycosidic bond. 
The molecule is almost exclusively linear, with only a few percent branching.
In general, plant inulins contain between 2 and 70 fructose units  or sometimes as high as 200,   but molecules with less than 10 units are called fructo-oligosaccharides, the simplest being 1-kestose, which has two fructose units and one glucose unit. 
Bacterial inulin is more highly branched (more than 15% branching) and contains on the order of tens or hundreds of subunits.

Inulins are named in the following manner, where n is the number of fructose residues and py is the abbreviation for pyranosyl:

Inulins with a terminal glucose are known as alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-[beta-D-fructofuranosyl](n-1)-D-fructofuranosides, abbreviated as GpyFn.
Inulins without glucose are beta-D-fructopyranosyl-[D-fructofuranosyl](n-1)-D-fructofuranosides, abbreviated as FpyFn.
Hydrolysis of inulins may yield fructo-oligosaccharides, which are oligomers with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 10 or less.

Calculation of glomerular filtration rate
Inulin is uniquely treated by nephrons in that it is completely filtered at the glomerulus but neither secreted nor reabsorbed by the tubules. 
This property of inulin allows the clearance of inulin to be used clinically as a highly accurate measure of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) — the rate of plasma from the afferent arteriole that is filtered into Bowman's capsule measured in ml/min.

Inulin is informative to contrast the properties of inulin with those of para-aminohippuric acid (PAH). 
PAH is partially filtered from plasma at the glomerulus and not reabsorbed by the tubules, in a manner identical to inulin. 
PAH is different from inulin in that the fraction of PAH that bypasses the glomerulus and enters the nephron's tubular cells (via the peritubular capillaries) is completely secreted. 
Renal clearance of PAH is thus useful in calculation of renal plasma flow (RPF), which empirically is (1-hematocrit) times renal blood flow. 
Of note, the clearance of PAH is reflective only of RPF to portions of the kidney that deal with urine formation, and, thus, underestimates the actual RPF by about 10%.

The measurement of GFR by inulin or sinistrin is still considered the gold standard. 
However, it has now been largely replaced by other, simpler measures that are approximations of GFR. 
These measures, which involve clearance of such substrates as EDTA, iohexol, cystatin C, 125I-iothalamate (sodium radioiothalamate), the chromium radioisotope 51Cr (chelated with EDTA), and creatinine, have had their utility confirmed in large cohorts of patients with chronic kidney disease.

For both inulin and creatinine, the calculations involve concentrations in the urine and in the serum. However, unlike creatinine, inulin is not naturally present in the body. This is an advantage of inulin (because the amount infused will be known) and a disadvantage (because an infusion is necessary).

Metabolism in vivo
Inulin is indigestible by the human enzymes ptyalin and amylase, which are adapted to digest starch. 
As a result, it passes through much of the digestive system intact. 
Only in the colon do bacteria metabolise inulin, with the release of significant quantities of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and/or methane. 
Inulin-containing foods can be rather gassy, in particular for those unaccustomed to inulin, and these foods should be consumed in moderation at first.

Inulin is a soluble fiber, one of three types of dietary fiber including soluble, insoluble, and resistant starch. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gelatinous material. Some soluble fibers may help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.

Because normal digestion does not break inulin down into monosaccharides, it does not elevate blood sugar levels and may, therefore, be helpful in the management of diabetes. 
Inulin also stimulates the growth of bacteria in the gut.
Inulin passes through the stomach and duodenum undigested and is highly available to the gut bacterial flora. 
This makes it similar to resistant starches and other fermentable carbohydrates.

Some traditional diets contain over 20 g per day of inulin or fructo-oligosaccharides. 
The diet of the prehistoric hunter-forager in the Chihuahuan Desert has been estimated to include 135 g per day of inulin-type fructans.
Many foods naturally high in inulin or fructo-oligosaccharides, such as chicory, garlic, and leek, have been seen as "stimulants of good health" for centuries.

Due to its resistance to digestive enzymes, inulin resists absorption during its transit through the upper gastrointestinal tract. 
After reaching the large intestine, inulin is converted by colonic bacteria to a gel known as a prebiotic, a food ingredient that is highly nourishing to gut microflora. 
As of 2013, no regulatory authority had permitted health claims in the marketing of prebiotics as a class. 
Inulin's health effects had been studied in small clinical trials, which showed that it causes gastrointestinal adverse effects such as bloating and flatulence, does not affect triglyceride levels or development of fatty liver, may help prevent traveler’s diarrhea, and may help increase calcium absorption in adolescents.

Inulin is a type of prebiotic. 
It's not digested or absorbed in the stomach. 
Inulin stays in the bowel and helps certain beneficial bacteria to grow.

Inulin is a starchy substance found in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, including wheat, onions, bananas, leeks, artichokes, and asparagus. 
The inulin that is used in supplements most commonly comes from soaking chicory roots in hot water.

People commonly use inulin by mouth for weight loss, constipation, and diabetes. 
It's also used for high blood fats, including cholesterol and triglycerides, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Possibly Effective for
Constipation. Taking inulin by mouth seems to help relieve constipation in some children and adults. 
Inulin increases the number of stools by up to about one per week. 
But it might not reduce discomfort.
Diabetes. 
Taking inulin by mouth along with antidiabetes drugs might improve blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes, short-term. 
But it's not clear if it helps long-term.
Obesity. 
Taking inulin by mouth might increase short-term weight loss. 
But it's not clear if it helps with long-term weight loss or weight maintenance in people who are overweight or obese.

Inulin is also fructan. Like other fructans, it is a prebiotic, meaning that it feeds the good bacteria in the gut.

Fructans are chains of fructose molecules. The molecules link together in a way that the small intestine cannot break down. Instead, they travel to the lower gut, where they feed beneficial gut bacteria.

The gut bacteria convert inulin and other prebiotics into short-chain fatty acids, which nourish colon cells and provide various other health benefits.

Plants containing inulin have been around for thousands of years, and some early humans consumed much more inulin than we do today.

Manufacturers add inulin to processed products to:

boost the prebiotic content of foods
replace fat in foods
replace sugar in foods
alter the texture of foods
improve the health benefits of foods due to its benefits for gut health
Where does inulin come from?
Inulin naturally occurs in many plants, but manufacturers can also modify it for commercial use.

Natural sources
Inulin occurs in around 36,000 species of plants, and researchers say that chicory roots are the richest source.

Many plants contain only small amounts of inulin, while others are excellent sources.

Here’s how much inulin is in 3.5 ounces (oz), or 100 grams (g), of the following foods:

chicory root, 35.7–47.6 g
Jerusalem artichoke, 16–20 g
garlic, 9–16 g
raw asparagus, 2–3 g
raw onion pulp, 1.1–7.5 g
wheat, 1–3.8 g
raw barley, 0.5–1 g
Manufactured sources
Inulin is also available in supplement form or as an ingredient in:

protein bars
cereal bars
yogurts and other milk products
drinks
baked goods
desserts
Manufactured inulin comes in several forms:

Chicory inulin: Extract from chicory root.
High-performance (HP) inulin: 
Manufacturers create HP inulin by removing the shorter molecules from it.
Fiber supplements that are closely related to inulin are fructooligosaccharides, also known as oligofructose.

Health benefits of inulin
People take inulin for a variety of reasons. 
Inulin may improve digestive health, relieve constipation, promote weight loss, and help control diabetes.

Improves digestive health
The gut microbiota is the population of bacteria and other microbes that live in the gut. 
This community is highly complex and contains both good and bad bacteria.

Having the right balance of bacteria is essential for keeping the gut healthy and protect the body from disease.

Inulin can help promote this balance. 
In fact, studies have shown that inulin can help stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Increasing the amounts of healthful bacteria can help improve digestion, immunity, and overall health.

Relieves constipation
For many people, inulin may also help relieve symptoms of constipation.

One analysis found that people taking inulin experienced more frequent bowel movements and improved stool consistency.

In another 4-week study, older adults who consumed 15 g of inulin per day reported less constipation and better digestion.

Promotes weight loss
Several studies indicate that inulin can also help with weight loss.

In one weight loss study, people with prediabetes took inulin or another fiber called cellulose for 18 weeks. 
Those taking inulin lost significantly more weight between 9 and 18 weeks .

However, some studies of children with overweight or obesity have not found that oligofructose or inulin reduce calorie intake.

Helps control diabetes
Several studies suggest that inulin may improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes and prediabetes.

However, this may depend on the type of inulin. The high-performance (HP) type may be especially beneficial. For example, one study found that HP inulin decreased fat in the livers of people with prediabetes.

This is significant, as some research says that reducing fat in the liver can help reduce insulin resistance and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes.

In another study, females with type 2 diabetes consumed 10 g of HP inulin per day. 
Their fasting blood sugar decreased by an average of 8.5%, while hemoglobin A1c — a marker for long-term blood sugar control — fell by an average of 10.4% .

However, although HP inulin may benefit diabetes and prediabetes, results from older studies using some other types of inulin are less consistent.

Improved mineral absorption and bone health
Animal studies have found that inulin improves calcium and magnesium absorption, resulting in improved bone density.

According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, scientific evidence supports the idea that inulin-type fructans can benefit bone mineral density and how well the body absorbs calcium.

Sources of inulin
Inulin can be found naturally in foods, such as:
chicory root
artichokes
agave
asparagus
bananas
garlic
leeks
wheat
onions
wild yams
With its creamy consistency, inulin functions as a fat substitute in margarine and salad dressings. 
It’s also used to replace some of the flour in baked goods.

Benefits of inulin
Inulin is high in fiber and low in calories. 
Inulin also has other health benefits.

Inulin keeps you full (of fiber)
Fiber is any type of carbohydrate the body can’t digest. 
Inulin moves through the intestines intact and continues into the colon to serve as a food for the bacteria there. 
Fiber has low caloric value, but it’s essential to good health.

The fiber in inulin is soluble, which means it dissolves in water. 
Inulin dissolves in the stomach and then forms a gelatinous substance that:

slows digestion
increases fullness
reduces cholesterol absorption as it passes through the digestive tract
Inulin promotes digestive health
Your gut contains between 15,000 and 36,000 species of bacteria. 
Only a small portion of the bacteria in the body has the potential to be harmful. 
Good bacteria provide many health benefits. 
Inulin stimulates some of these bacteria to grow.

Inulin aids digestion by increasing the number of good bacteria in the gut, particularly Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.

These bacteria help:

fend off unwanted pathogens (bad bacteria)
prevent infection
stimulate your immune system
Inulin also adds bulk to your stool and increases the frequency of your bowel movements. 
You may have more bowel movements, but inulin slows overall digestion. 
This enables your body to better absorb nutrients from the food you eat.

Research suggests inulin can also enable the body to better absorb calcium. 
Calcium creates a stronger skeletal system.

Inulin controls blood sugar
Inulin slows digestion, including the digestion of carbohydrates. 
This allows sugar to be released slowly without spiking, which promotes healthy blood sugar levels.

A 2015 study revealed that inulin might benefit people with prediabetes. 
Inulin can act as a potential blood sugar stabilizer when present in your diet over a long period of time.

Some research suggests these properties make inulin a good weight management aid.

Inulin could potentially lower your colon cancer risk
Studies show that a high intake of dietary fiber, like inulin, is associated with a reduced risk of cancer. Researchers are actively exploring the use of inulin to prevent cancer.

As an immune system booster, it may also be a good preventive supplement against cancers of the digestive system. More studies are needed before any strong claims can be made about the effects of inulin on colon cancer.

Inulin supplements
Supplemental inulin is available in capsule and powder forms. 
A typical dose is 3.1 grams per day. You may prefer to get your inulin by eating foods it naturally occurs in.

Consider using inulin supplements to further promote digestive health if you’re on a probiotic regimen or currently using antibiotics to treat a bacterial illness.

A 2015 study tested the powder form of inulin to determine whether it contributed to feelings of health and well-being. People who took the inulin were happier, less hungry, and felt fuller over a period of time than people who received a placebo.

Inulin is a type of fermentable fiber that is found naturally in the roots of many foods, such as whole wheat, onions, garlic, and artichokes, and is commonly extracted from chicory root and added to foods. 
Dietary fibers can promote gut health, increase feelings of fullness, aid in weight loss, and improve heart health by reducing cholesterol.

Inulin is a type of oligosaccharide called a fructan. 
Fructans are a chain of fructose (sugar) molecules strung together. 
Inulin is fermented by bacteria that normalize the colon and is considered a prebiotic. 
Prebiotics may improve gastrointestinal health as well as potentially enhance calcium absorption.

Chemical Properties    
white crystalline solid
Inulin occurs as an odorless white powder with a neutral to slightly sweet taste.

Uses:
Is a safe plant polysaccharide with a variety of uses in the food and chemical medical industry. 
Inulin is a functional food, providing functional groups for beneficial bacteria, as well as improving prop erties of food such as texture, hydration and shelf-life. 
They are also used for vaccine and drug delivery via soluble storage.

Inulin is a nondigestible oligosaccharide containing fructose which provides texture, rheology, dietary fiber properties, and selective fer- mentation by colon bacteria. 
commercially obtained from chicory root; common sources include onion, garlic, leek, asparagus, and jerusalem artichoke. 
Inulin is a hygroscopic powder with solubility in water dependent on water temperature. 
with increasing concentra- tion, viscosity gradually increases, and at about 30% concentration, it can form discrete particle gels which are characterized as creamy and fat-like. 
Inulin is not hydrolyzed by the digestive system. it func- tions as a prebiotic, passing into the colon where it is preferentially fermented by healthy bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli to increase their proliferation and inhibit unwanted bacteria. 
Inulin is used in ice cream products to replace fat and sugar, and in baked goods.

Mixture of fructose polymers that serves as carbohydrate storage in plantsInulin is used in the treatment of high blood fats, cholesterol and triglycerides. 
Inulin is also used for weight loss, constipation and also serves as a food additive to improve taste and as a vaccine adjuvant. 
Further, it is utilized to replace sugar, fat and flour. 
Inulin is also used to measure kidney function by determining the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). 
In addition to this, it is used to replace some of the flour in baked goods.
Production Methods    Inulin is extracted from the tubers of Dahlia variabilis, Helianthus, in a procedure similar to the extraction of sugar from sugar beet.

Pharmaceutical Applications    
Inulin has many potential uses in pharmaceutical applications, as a filler–binder in tablet formulations, to stabilize therapeutic proteins; or to enhance the dissolution of lipophilic drugs. 
Methacrylated inulin hydrogels have been investigated for the development of colon-specific drug delivery systems.
Inulin is used as a diagnostic agent to measure the glomerular filtration rate. 
Inulin is used in the food industry as a sweetener and stabilizer, and also as a prebiotic, where it has been shown to provide protection against inflammatory and malignant colonic diseases in animals. 
Inulin is also used as a noncaloric dietary fiber supplement.

SYNONYMS:
RAFTILINEST
RAFTIFEED(R)IPS
RAFTILINEHP
CHICORYINULIN
jufen
Inulin 90%
Inulin from dahlia tubers, BC
Chrysanthemum powder
LONG-CHAININULINFROMCHICORYROOTS
RAFTILINEHPX
LONG-CHAININULINFROMCHICORY
INULIN extrapure
Alantin
Dahlin
Fibruline
Frutafit
Inulin,for biochemistry,from Dahlia tubers
INULIN(RG)
Inulin from dahlia t
Menyanthin
Inulin, froM Dahlia tubers, for biocheMistry 25GR
Inulin USP
Inulin froM dahlia tub
Inulin/Synanthrin
Inulin - from Jerusalem artichoke
2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[2-[[3,4-dihydroxy-2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2-oxolanyl]oxym
POLY-BETA-(2->1)FRUCTOFURANOSAN WITH GLUCOSE ENDGROUPS
POLY-BETA-(2-1)-FRUCTO-FURANOSE
POLYFRUCTOSE
INULIN
ALANT STARCH
Inulin from dahlia tubers
INULIN FROM CHICORY
INULIN FROM JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
INULIN FROM CHICORY ROOT
InulinB.P.
InulinForBiochemistry
Inulin, from Dahlia tubers, for biochemistry
CHICORYLONG-CHAININULIN
Inulin, White powder
Inulin (by Enzymatic synthesis)
synanthrin
INULIN USP/EP/BP
Inulin (Long Chain)