Abstract:
An integrated method for the global recovery and production of carbohydrates, in particular inulin, pectin, fructose-glucose syrup and vegetable fibre from Jerusalem artichoke tubers, in which the crushed tubers are subjected to extraction in water in a cavitation extractor, including the phases of : a) subjecting the crushed tubers to extraction in water with a volume ratio from 1:3 to 1:8, with a cavitation index from 0.05 to 0.1 for times from 10 to 15 minutes, to provide the extraction in liquid phase of the carbohydrate fraction containing mainly inulin; b) separation of the liquid phase containing inulin from the solid phase through filtration; and c) purification and concentration of the aqueous filtrate containing inulin; for the production of pectin the Jerusalem artichoke tuber pulp, separated from the filtrate in phase b) is subjected to extraction in a rotary cavitation extractor from 2.1 to 2.5, for a time from 45 to 300 seconds; preferably, a portion of the aqueous concentrate containing inulin, produced in phase c), is subjected to hydrolysis with citric acid to provide a fructose-glucose syrup.