PRODUCTION OF FRUCTOSE FROM CEREAL STEMS AND POLYANNUAL CULTURES OF JERUSALEM-ARTICHOKE

In several European countries, fructose and fructose-rich syrups are p resently produced from starch as isoglucose or directly from chicory r oots as inuline syrup. Other promising crops for this production seem to be the Jerusalem artichoke, particularly for southern European coun tries, and cereals of C-3 type. During the growing cycle of the Jerusa lem artichoke, fructose polymers are accumulated in the stalks up to t he late phase of flowering and they are then transferred and stored in the tubers. The Jerusalem artichoke can also be used as a perennial s ugar crop by only harvesting the stalks for many years around the flow ering time before the carbohydrate translocation to the tubers occurs. Cereals represent an other interesting source of fructans, which are produced and stored in the stems and leaves. Extensive investigations have been carried out by the authors both on Jerusalem artichoke as we ll as barley, durum and bread wheat. For what concerns the cereals, th e accumulation of fructans in the stems has been studied over a 3-year period with the durum wheat resulting as the most promising species. In this crop, a low nitrogen fertilisation increases the fructose cont ent of the stems. Immature seeds, a valuable co-product, could also be obtained from wheat. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.