Dietary fibre from plant cell walls: chemical and structural characteristics

M. Bunzel, H. Steinhart, Hamburg

Dietary fibre comprises indigestible polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignin and associated compounds. Most dietary fibre comes from plant cell walls.

Plant cell walls are extremely complex compounds. Their composition depends on the plant, plant organ, tissue and developmental status of the plant in question. Detailed knowledge of the structural and chemical characteristics of plant cell wall components is indispensable to understand the physiological effects of dietary fibre.

Plant cell walls consist of polysaccharides, structural proteins and aromatic substances such as lignin, and associated compounds such as cutin. The authors explain chemical and structural characteristics of pectins, hemicelluloses , cellulose and lignin, and the interactions of these in the cell wall. The significance of chemical and structural characteristics for the physiological effects of dietary fibre is discussed. EU12/03

Keywords: Dietary fibre / plant cell walls / chemical and structural characteristics

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 12/03 ab Seite 469.