Fructan
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A fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules. They occur in foods such as:
- artichokes
- asparagus
- green beans
- leeks
- onions (including spring onion)
- wheat
In animal fodder, fructans also appear in grass, with dietary implications for horses and other equidae
There are 3 types of fructans:
- Inulin - linear fructans generally linked by β(2→1) glycosidic bonds
- Levan - linear fructans generally linked by β(2→6) glycosidic bonds
- Graminan - branched fructans linked by both β(2→1) and β(2→6) glycosidic bonds
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
Sugar - Chemical, Biological and Nutritional Aspects of Sucrose. John Yudkin, Jack Edelman and Leslie Hough (1971, 1973). The Butterworth Group. ISBN 0-408-70172-2
[edit] External links
[edit] Functions
Plants storing their food as fructans are able to thrive at low temperatures since fructans confer tolerance to freezing. They bind to membranes, thereby helping to keep cells intact
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