Hemicellulose

What is hemicellulose?

Hemicellulose is a collective term for non-digestible polysaccharides found in plant cell walls; it is composed of various monosaccharides, like xylose, mannose, galactose, rhamnose and arabinose. Hemicellulose is a dietary fiber, which can be either soluble or insoluble and more or less fermentable ^[1].

Xylans are hemicelluloses composed of only xylose, mannans of mannose, galactans of galactose, rhamnans of rhamnose and arabinans of arabinose. Various combinations, like galactomannans, glucomannans, arabonoxylans and arabinogalactans, exist.

Hemicellulose as a Food Additive

Hemicellulose can be used in foods as an added fiber, thickener, emulsifier or stabilizer.

Hemicellulose Supplements

Hemicellulose may be part of prebiotic supplements.