Inulin products with improved nutritional properties

Abstract

The invention relates to novel inulin products and compositions thereof, to their manufacture, to their use for modifying and modulating the bacterial flora and the fermentation pattern of inulin in the large intestine of humans, mammals or other vertebrates, to their use for providing improved inulin-associated nutritional effects/benefits, as well as to their use for the manufacture of consumer products and compositions for providing said effects/benefits in healthy, disfunctioned and diseased humans, mammals and other vertebrates. The novel inulin products consist of a particular mixture of an easily fermentable inulin (EFI) component and a hardly fermentable inulin (HFI) component. The nutritional effects/benefits include dietary fibre effects, improved mineral absorption, particularly calcium and magnesium, bone mineral density increase, reduction of bone mineral density loss, modulation of lipid metabolism, stimulation of the immune system, and anti-cancer effects. The novel inulin products are particularly suitable for the manufacture of a composition or a medicament for preventing, for postponing and/or for treating osteoporosis in humans, particularly in post-menopausal women and elderly people.

1 - 29 . (canceled)  
     
     
         30 . A method for modifying or modulating the bacterial flora composition in the large intestine or in the distal part of the large intestine of humans, mammals or other vertebrates, comprising feeding to said humans, mammals or other vertebrates an effective amount of an inulin product comprising a mixture of an easily fermentable inulin (EFI) component and a hardly fermentable inulin (HFI) component, wherein the weight ratio of EFI/HFI ranges from 10/90 to 70/30, the EFI component is free from agave inulin and comprises a short-chain inulin with a degree of polymerization (DP)<10, the HFI component comprises a long-chain inulin with a number average degree of polymerization (  DP )≧20, and the total content of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 5% (% is wt % on total inulin, determined by gas liquid chromatography (GLC).  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the total content of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 2%.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the total content of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 1%.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the weight ratio of the EFI/HFI components ranges from 35/65 to 65/35.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the HFI component comprises a long-chain chicory inulin.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the EFI component comprises a mixture of industrial grade oligofructose containing maximally 20% in total of glucose, fructose and sucrose (% is wt % on total carbohydrates) or industrial grade agave inulin, or a mixture of said oligofructose and said agave inulin as the EFI component, and the HFI component comprises an industrial grade long-chain inulin.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the HFI component comprises industrial grade long-chain chicory inulin.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the short-chain inulin comprises industrial grade oligofructose containing maximally 8% in total of glucose, fructose and sucrose (% being wt % on total carbohydrates).  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the inulin product is mixed with one or more edible or pharmaceutically acceptable components.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the one or more edible or pharmaceutically acceptable components are selected from the group consisting of a sugar, a polyol, an hydrogenated glucose syrup, a maltodextrin, a sweetener, a food ingredient, a feed ingredient, a food additive, a feed additive, a food intermediate, a feed intermediate, a food product, a feed product, an edible liquid, a drink, a bio-available source of a mineral, a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, a pharmaceutically active substance, a therapeutically active substance, a pharmaceutical composition and a medicament.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the bio-available source of mineral comprises a source of calcium and/or a source of magnesium and/or a source of iron.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the inulin product is fed as a food, feed, drink, consumer product, functional food, functional feed, pharmaceutical composition or medicament.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 38 , including the step of optionally bringing the composition to a desired form.  
     
     
         43 . A method for providing one or more improved inulin-associated nutritional effects/benefits in humans, mammals or other vertebrates, comprising feeding to said humans, mammals or other vertebrates an effective amount of an inulin product comprising a mixture of an easily fermentable inulin (EFI) component and a hardly fermentable inulin (HFI) component, wherein the weight ratio of EFI/HFI ranges from 10/90 to 70/30, the EFI component is free from agave inulin and comprises a short-chain inulin with a degree of polymerization (DP)<10, the HFI component comprises a long-chain inulin with a number average degree of polymerization (  DP )≧20, and the total content of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 5% (% is wt % on total inulin, determined by gas liquid chromatography (GLC), and one or more edible or pharmaceutically acceptable components.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the improved inulin-associated nutritional effect/benefit comprises an effect selected from the group consisting of a dietary fibre effect, modulation of gut function, prebiotic action and/or bifidogenicity, increased absorption of minerals, increased absorption of calcium and/or of magnesium and/or of iron, bone mineral density increase, bone mineral content increase, peak bone mass increase, improvement of the bone structure, reduction of bone mineral density loss, reduction of loss of bone structure, modulation of lipid metabolism, stimulation of the immune system, prevention or reduction of risk of cancer, prevention or reduction of risk of colon cancer and prevention or reduction of the risk of breast cancer.  
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein said improved inulin-associated nutritional effect/benefit comprises preventing or reducing bone demineralization or risk of osteoporosis, or treating osteoporosis in humans.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein said improved inulin-associated nutritional effect/benefit comprises treatment of post-menopausal women or elderly people.  
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein said improved inulin-associated nutritional effect/benefit comprises preventing cancer, reducing risk of cancer, or treatment of cancer.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein said improved inulin-associated nutritional effect/benefit comprises modifying or modulating the fermentation pattern of inulin in the large intestine or in the distal part of the large intestine of humans, mammals or other vertebrates.  
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the weight ratio of EFI/HFI ranges from 10/90 to 70/30, the EFI component comprises agave inulin or a mixture of agave inulin with a short-chain inulin with a (DP)<10, the HFI component comprises a long-chain inulin with a (  DP )≧20, and the total amount of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 5% (% is wt % on total inulin, determined by GLC).  
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the total content of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 2%.  
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the total content of inulin with (DP)=9 and (DP)=10 is maximally 1%.  
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the weight ratio of the EFI/HFI components ranges from 35/65 to 65/35.  
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the HFI component comprises a long-chain chicory inulin.  
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the EFI component comprises a mixture of industrial grade oligofructose containing maximally 20% in total of glucose, fructose and sucrose (% is wt % on total carbohydrates) or industrial grade agave inulin, or a mixture of said oligofructose and said agave inulin as the EFI component, and the HFI component comprises an industrial grade long-chain inulin.  
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the HFI component comprises industrial grade long-chain chicory inulin.  
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the short-chain inulin comprises industrial grade oligofructose containing maximally 8% in total of glucose, fructose and sucrose (% being wt % on total carbohydrates).  
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein the one or more edible or pharmaceutically acceptable components are selected from the group consisting of a sugar, a polyol, an hydrogenated glucose syrup, a maltodextrin, a sweetener, a food ingredient, a feed ingredient, a food additive, a feed additive, a food intermediate, a feed intermediate, a food product, a feed product, an edible liquid, a drink, a bio-available source of a mineral, a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, a pharmaceutically active substance, a therapeutically active substance, a pharmaceutical composition and a medicament.  
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 57 , wherein the bio-available source of a mineral comprises a source of calcium and/or a source of magnesium and/or a source of iron.  
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 57 , comprising a food, feed, drink, consumer product, functional food, functional feed, pharmaceutical composition or medicament.