Konjac is a perennial herbaceous plant. Most of the tubers of konjac are flattened and spherical in shape. Due to the different growth years and varieties of konjac, the tubers vary in size and can generally be harvested within 3-5 years. Konjac plants are 40-70 cm tall, prefer shade, have thick petioles, purple flowers, have a special odor, and cannot be eaten raw. Amorphophallus konjac is widely distributed in humid monsoon climate regions such as southeast mountainous regions, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and mountains around Sichuan Basin. There are 26 varieties of konjac in China, including 14 unique varieties. Flower konjac and white konjac are currently the most cultivated and widely distributed varieties in China, with high research value. The main components of konjac include water, glucomannan, starch, cellulose and hemicellulose, protein, amino acids, alkaloids, and more than 20 inorganic components. Among them, the proportion of glucomannan in konjac chips is very high, up to 50% to 60%.

1. The Application of Glucomannan in Food Processing

In food processing, konjac glucomannan has gel synergistic effect. The researchers added glucomannan to such traditional foods as noodles and Mantou to retain the traditional flavor and make them have certain health functions. At the same time, konjac glucomannan can be used as the base material for gel foods such as jelly, pudding and absorbent. In terms of health food, glucomannan has high nutritional value and is not absorbed by the human small intestine. After consumption, it will have a strong sense of fullness and can reduce and delay the absorption of glucose. It is called a health food. It can regulate cholesterol metabolism, lose weight, constipation, diabetes, and has significant effects on atherosclerosis, gallstones, obesity, etc. Konjac glucomannan can be made into yogurt, gummies, ice cream excipients, canned goods, and biomimetic foods. In recent years, through the research of scientists, konjac glucomannan micro powder with a purity of over 90%, konjac noodles, and konjac jelly have been successfully developed, which have been widely praised in the market and have attracted people's attention.

2. The Application of Glucomannan in Industry

3. The Application of Glucomannan in Drugs

Glucomannan is a low calorie chemical substance that will not be digested by digestive enzymes in the intestine. It can produce a sense of satiety after eating, delay or even reduce the absorption of glucose, reduce the blood sugar level, and play a role in preventing and treating diabetes. Glucomannan can enhance the specific and non-specific immune function of animals, regulate immune activity, and have a certain preventive effect on cancer diseases such as colorectal cancer and lung cancer. Glucomannan has certain curative effect on patients with colon cancer and breast cancer. The reason may be that glucomannan plays a role in diluting the concentration of carcinogens and accelerating their excretion from the body; At the same time, changes in intestinal bacteria increase the number of anaerobic bacteria in the intestine, which has a certain anti-tumor effect.

In summary

Glucomannan is a natural plant neutral polysaccharide, mainly derived from the tubers of konjac. As a natural polysaccharide dietary fiber, glucomannan has extremely high edible, health and medicinal value. With the upgrading of consumer demand, the future development prospects of the glucomannan market are promising. China is the world's largest producer of konjac, providing sufficient raw materials for the development of the glucomannan industry. With the improvement of related production technology, the development space of China's glucomannan industry is vast.

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2023-11-29

Shaanxi Huike Botanical Development Co., Ltd.