Soluble but undigested fructose polymer found in root vegetables. Also called dahlin and alant starch (although it is a non-starch polysaccharide).
A fructose oligosaccharide (FOS) that is naturally produced in more than 30,000 plants.
A vegetable starch used in tests done to determine the adequacy of kidney function.
A carbohydrate with a high molecular weight, used in a test of kidney function called inulin clearance. Inulin is filtered from the bloodstream by the kidneys. By injecting it into the blood and measuring the amount that appears in the urine over a given period, it is possible to calculate how much filtrate the kidneys are producing in a given time.
A polysaccharide found in plants that yields fructose when hydrolyzed. It is used to study renal function.
Plant fibers that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables are utilized to augment the fiber content or supplant the texture similar to that of fat in low-fat foods. The greater part of inulin present in food products is procured from the root of the chicory plant or derived through the synthesis of sucrose.