ABSTRACT
The cell walls of plants consist mainly of polysaccharides, protein, and lignin. These biopolymers are organized, together with small amounts of other components such as acetyl groups and phenolic substituents, in complex threedimensional structures that are neither uniform nor completely described in different plants or plant fractions [1-3]. A schematic representation of chemical associations between polymers in lignified cell walls is shown in Figure 4.1 [4]. Cell-wall polysaccharides in foods are a complex group of components differing widely in physical properties and nutritional effects [5]. The recent upsurge of interest in polysaccharides has resulted from the development of more sophisticated and accurate methods of analysis and the realization that cell-wall polysaccharides not only are structural and energy-yielding compounds but can also regulate the utilization of other dietary components in the food [2] and affect animal and human health [6].
