The application of purification process for inulin powder production from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tuber powder

In this study, the inulin powder was produced from Jerusalem artichoke tuber (JAT) powder applying hot water extraction and purification steps comprising basket centrifugation, carbonation, deionization, and decolorization before evaporation and spray drying. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop the production process of purified inulin powder from JAT powder and (2) investigate the effect of purification process on the inulin powder quality. It appeared that the production process developed in this study provided the production yield of 37.6% of the total solids in JAT powder. Inulin-type fructan contents in the purified inulin powder ranged between 82.49 and 96.22 g/100 g_{dry mass} with the proportions of FOS between 11.31 and 12.68 g/100 g_{dry mass}. The ash content was rather high due to the mineral content in JAT and the remaining calcium ions and compounds after carbonation. The microstructures of inulin powders produced in this study were different from the commercial inulin powder. Practical Applications: Inulin is claimed as prebiotic since it promotes activities and growth of beneficial microorganisms in the human intestines. It has been applied in the food industry as low-calorie sweetener, fat replacer, fiber enricher, and prebiotic in various healthy foods. Although the commercial inulin powder currently sold in the market is typically produced from chicory root, JAT is another potential raw material for inulin production. The production process of inulin powder developed in this study can be scaled up and applied in the industrial production. The purity of inulin powder obtained in this study was comparable with the commercial inulin product such as Orafti® HSI. The inulin powder produced from JAT powder produced in this work could be sold as a food additive.