Lignocellulose, dietary fibre, inulin and their potential application in food

In recent years, due to food insecurity, lignocellulose, dietary fibre as well as inulin have received wider attention owing to their abundance and being relatively low-cost indigestible polysaccharides. Since the recognition, acceptance of the consumption and utilization of these polysaccharides, as well as their attraction in science and industry has grown tremendously. There have been further researches carried out to ascertain the fact that people who consume or utilize these polysaccharides have low exposure to some fatal life-threatening illnesses. Rich sources of indigestible polysaccharides such as vegetables, cereals, fruits and nuts are beneficial to good health as consuming them reduce the occurrence of degenerating diseases such as colon cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. Despite these increasing facts depicting their advantages in the state of human health, their intake and utilization still fall below the acceptable limit and the knowledge of how they work in the human body are minimal with their explicit actions not easily shown. Hence, this review gives a better understanding of the significance of lignocellulose, dietary fibre and inulin, their functions, classifications, types and applications in the food industry, thereby exposing their various uses as these polycarbohydrates were considered a waste before now.