Recent insights for the green recovery of inulin from plant food materials using non-conventional extraction technologies: A review

International audienceInulin constitutes an important food ingredient, widely used for its fiber content, and its ability to substitute fat and sugar ingredients. Traditionally, industrial inulin production from chicory roots requires high extraction temperature (70–80 °C) and long extraction time (1–2 h). This conventional extraction is generally accompanied with the presence of a large amount of impurities in the extracted juice, mainly due to the application of high temperature, requiring thus further purification steps. To overcome these issues, developing novel extraction technologies, consuming less energy, faster, and providing high yield and purity, is of paramount importance to meet the requirements of a green extraction concept. In this review, the feasibility of using conventional and new promising technologies (enzyme assisted extraction, ultrasounds, microwaves, supercritical fluid extraction, and pulsed electric fields) to recover inulin from plant food materials and by-products from an environmental and economical point of view will be discussed