1995 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 146-148
The dietary fiber in rhubarb was determined and some properties of the pectic substances were investigated. The proportion of total dietary fiber by Kainuma's modified method was 2.79-3.73% in three kinds of rhubarb.
The content of pectic substances in dietary fiber was 40.1±2.0% hemicellulose and cellulose were 24-30%each, and lignin was only 5%. The boiling water-soluble fraction in pectic substances comprised about 80%, therefore, it is interesting that the dietary fiber in rhubarb had functional properties. The crude pectic substances in rhubarb consisted of 71.1-79.2% of galacturonic acid with 6.3-6.9% of methoxyl groups, and the presence of rhamnose, galactose, arabinose and xylose was confirmed.
