Konjac Glucomannan : Production, Processing, and Functional Applications

In recent years, konjac glucomannan (KGM) has attracted growing attention as a dietary fibre. It is a neutral hydrocolloid with significant health functions. Although relatively little known in the Western world, it has been part of the human diet in China and Japan for nearly two thousand years. Initially, the main source of KGM was Amorphophallus konjac from which the common English name ‘konjac’ is derived. Nowadays, the production of KGM is expanding into SE Asia and more tropical species of Amorphophallus are used as a raw material.

describes the current status of the KGM industry and the research done by industrial and scientific institutions in the major producing countries.

At present, KGM has wide applications in the food industry as a gelling agent, stabiliser and emulsifier and is used for edible coatings for preservation of fruit and vegetables. Other uses are in pharmaceutical industry for microencapsulation of active compounds that are to be released ‘on demand’ for treatment of various diseases. This book is aimed at researchers in academia and industry, and will appeal to professionals from a wide variety of industries including food scientists & engineers, botanists, agronomists, nutritionists, health care professionals, pharmaceutical industry professionals.