CAULIFLOWER (BRASSICA-OLERACEA L), GLOBE ARTICHOKE (CYNARA-SCOLYMUS) AND CHICORY WITLOOF (CICHORIUM-INTYBUS) PROCESSING BY-PRODUCTS AS SOURCES OF DIETARY FIBER

By-products arising from vegetable processing activities have been ass essed in relation to their potential application as sources of dietary fibre supplements in refined foods. Sources used were fresh cauliflow er, globe artichoke and chicory witloof. Non-starch polysaccharide (NS P) content and composition of selected parts of each plant source have been measured from alcohol insoluble residues (AIR) and by fibre anal ysis, complemented by methylation analysis to characterise structural features of component polysaccharides. Results indicate that cauliflow er upper stem NSP was similar to the floret (similar to 25 g kg(-1) fr esh weight) and each was rich in pectic polysaccharides. Cauliflower l ower stem was enriched in NSP (similar to 66 g kg(-1)) due mainly to c ellulose and xylan deposition, which resulted in a proportionate decre ase in pectic polysaccharides. Artichoke stem (similar to 38 g NSP kg( -1)) was similar to the receptacle (similar to 34 g NSP kg(-1)) but br acts were heavily lignified. Chicory root and leaf bud were each rich in pectic polysaccharides but NSP content was much higher in the root (similar to 46 g kg(-1)) than the leaf (similar to 8 g kg(-1)). Result s indicate that processing byproducts, eg cauliflower upper stem, arti choke stem and chicory root, could prove useful as sources of pectic p olysaccharide-rich supplements. However, polysaccharide composition an d glycosidic linkage pattern also identified important structural diff erences between sources. The importance of 'fibre type' when consideri ng development of food supplements is discussed. (C) 1998 SCI.