Chicory Inulin: A versatile biopolymer with nutritional and therapeutic properties

Abstract

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a widely distributed plant which belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is used for the treatment of many diseases related to the heart, kidney, and liver. It is reported as an antioxidant and nutraceutical (forage and food). Chicory is known to produce a unique fiber inulin in roots, and the roots contain ∼15-20% inulin. The inulin fiber has received a lot of attention for it being the source of fiber in functional food and pharmaceutical industry. Inulin is used as a soluble dietary fiber, fat, sweetening agent, stabilizer, and an incipient. Inulin has building blocks of sugar (up to 90 monosaccharides), and the industrial oligofructan is produced from the chicory inulin. Inulin and oligofructans are the prebiotics which help in preventing digestive tract infections and also support the immune system. New uses for inulin are constantly being discovered, with recent research into its use for slow release during drug delivery. Given its increasing importance to industry, the present review will explain inulin's unique properties which bestow it with many useful industrial and pharmaceutical applications.