ABSTRACT
KGM is an attractive dietary fibre. It acts as a neutral hydrocolloid with significant health functions. It has been part of the human diet in China and Japan for nearly 2000 years. Initially, the main species was Amorphophallus konjac from which the common English name ‘konjac’ is derived. Nowadays, it has wide applications in the food industry as a gelling agent, stabilizer, and emulsifier, and is used for edible coatings for the preservation of fruit and vegetables. Other uses are in the pharmaceutical industry for microencapsulation of active compounds that are to be released ‘on demand’ for treatment of various diseases. There are also applications in the body care and tissue culture field, just to mention a few of them.
