GLUCOMANNAN

Glucomannan is a plant-derived polysaccharide belonging to the mannan

family, with frequent application in food industry as thickener and
emulsifier. It has a variety of sources, but the most
common glucomannan is konjac glucomannan extracted
from Amorphophallus konjac, known as konjac plant
Konjac glucomannan has a mannose/glucose molar ratio around 1.6:1
Glucomannan presents gelling properties and is also able to
synergistically interact with other polymers, such
as carrageenan and xanthan gum, an advantageous characteristic for
drug delivery applications
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876162314000339

KGM

The KONJAC corms are washed, sliced into chips and dried. The flour
is obtained by pulverising the chips followed by a polishing step to
remove impurities. The konjac flour is separated by wind shifting and
then finally the flour is washed with alcohol to remove impurities and
micro-fine particles on the surface of the konjac. 
Konjac is sold in two forms: the standard form is konjac flour it is
cream to light tan in colour with typical fishy odours and produces
slightly cloudy solutions due to residual starch. Depending on the
source species, dried konjac flour contains approximately 49%–60%
glucomannan, 10%–30% starch, 2%–5% fibre, 5%–14% crude
protein, 3%–5% reducing sugars and 3%–5% ash.
HYDROLYSIS OF KGM
KGM can be decomposed into oligosaccharides with different degrees of
degradation via physical and chemical treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis.
(Cui et al., 2019)

Among various methods for depolymerization, enzymatic hydrolysis is one of the most
widely used in the degradation of high MW polysaccharides including KGM  because of
its biocompatibility, selectivity and effectiveness (Albrecht et al., 2011; Jian et al., 2013) 

“In addition to the native KGM, the partially degraded products of KGM with lower MW
have exhibited improved biological functions, such as immunomoldulation (Onishi et al.,
2005), antioxidation (Jian et al., 2017, Liu et al., 2015) and growth promotion of
probiotics”) Al-Ghazzewi & Tester, 2012; Al-Ghazzewi, Shepherd, Tester, & Piggott, 2010; Yang,
Vittori et al., 2017; Yang, Yuan et al., 2017

Recently, enzymatic hydrolysis has been commonly used in KGM

degradation and KGM skeletons have been hydrolyzed into
monosaccharides by β-mannanase, which catalyzes β-D-1,4-
mannopyranosyl into mannobiose and mannotriose. 15−17

The advantage of enzymatic hydrolysis over acid hydrolysis is

specificity and thus, although the process is slower, oligosaccharides
with desired degree of polymerization (DP) are obtained without the
formation of monosaccahrides or furufural (Akipnar, O.; Erdogan, K.; Bakir, U.;
Yilmaz L. LWT – Food Sci Technol., 2010, 43, 119-125

DIFFERENT ENZYMES HAS DIFFERENT EFFECT ON

OLIGOSACCAHRIDES PRODUCED
For example hydrolysis of konjac mannan by P. funiculosumendoglucanase
leads to formation of MG, MM, MMG and MMM whereas GM, MM, GGM
and GMM have been detected after hydrolysis by A. niger and
Streptomyces sp. mannanase (MIKKELSON ET AL., 2013)
two T. reesei endoglucanases belonging to glycosyl hydrolase (GH)
families 5 and 7 (TrCel5A and TrCel7B, formerly known as EGII andEGI,
respectively) and one mannanase belonging to GH family 5. 12,13

PREBIOTIC EFFECT

oligosaccharides prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of konjac

glucomannan can be used as prebiotics as the hydrolysate efficiently
enhances the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
Problem statement

(INULIN/FRUCTANS)
The dp of fructans has a major impact on the kinetics of fermentation by
probiotic bacteria and thus on the beneficial effect. For most probiotic
strains, inulin-type fructans with lower dp lead to an earlier growth of
lactobacilli and bifidobacteria than those with higher dp.
Longer chain inulins, however, showed a more pronounced prebiotic
effect affecting not only probiotics in the proximal colon, but also in
the distal colon (Ito et al, 2011, Pompei et al, 2008, Stewart et al, 2008,
van de Wiele et al, 2007)
Probiotic strains prefer fructan sources with different dps and grow only or
faster with fructans of low dp (Velázquez-Martínez et al, 2014, Mueller et al,
2016).
Meanwhile, the effect of fructans from agave and chicory on food intake
and weight gain was shown to be dependent on the dp and structure of
fructan as well.
 In fact, agave fructan had a significant effect on weight reduction and on
the increased secretion of peptides involved in appetite regulation, whereas
inulin from chicory did not significantly show such an effect (Santiago-
García & López, 2014).
Branched fructan with high dp led to a higher butyrate formation than
unbranched fructans with high dp (Koenen, Cruz Rubio, Mueller, &
Venema, 2016).