Glucofructans in cereal

Cereal grains contain 66—76 % carbohydrates, thus, this is by far the most abundant group of constituents. The major carbohydrate is starch (55—70 %) followed by minor constituents such as arabinoxylans (1.5—8 %), β-glucans (0.5—7 %), sugars (∼3 %), cellulose (∼2.5 %), and glucofructans (∼1 %).

The major carbohydrate found in the endosperm or flour portion of the kernel is the starch. Other carbohydrate material includes free sugars, glucofructans and hemicelluoses (pentosans). Glucofructan (= inulin) in endosperm act as a prebiotic agent and dietary fiber.

Glucofructans present in wheat flour (about 1 per cent) represent a group of water-soluble nonreducing carbohydrates which extend in molecular size from sucrose to polysaccharides with molecular weights of around 2000.

What are glucofructans? Glucofructans are the fructose molecules polymerized and attached to a glucose molecule. They consist of one fructose molecule chained to at least one glucose molecule. Sucrose (table sugar) is the simplest type of glucofructan. It consists of a bond of just one glucose molecule to one fructose.
Glucofructans in cereal