**3.1 Agave**

*Microorganisms*

bonds, and each of this chain is terminated by fructose moiety. The linking and bonding in inulin moiety are designated in **Figure 1**. Inulin is a reservoir of nondigestible carbohydrate known as fructans. It constitutes the bulk of glycosidic bonds joining fructosyl-fructose. The inulin-type fructans stored in Dicotyledonous species are connected with linear β(2→1) fructofuranosyl units, whereas monocots encompass

Inulin is abundant in structures such as bulbs, tubers, and tuberous roots of grasses and flowering plants belonging to Liliaceae (3500 species) and Compositae (25,000 species) families. Such plants, for example, asparagus, wheat, rye, and dahlias, mostly lack starch and thus synthesize inulin as energy store house. A wide array of inulin-rich plants with their inulin content is symbolized graphically

branched complex-type fructans [2].

*Schematic depiction of inulin content in variety of inulin consisting plants.*

**3. Plant sources of fructans**

(**Figure 2**) [3].

**Figure 1.** *Inulin structure.*

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**Figure 2.**

*Agave* is the most taxonomically diverse members of family Agavaceae. They are been surviving in extreme conditions by adapting themselves morphologically and physiologically. To escape transpirational water loss, they conduct crassulacean acid metabolism, thus liberating fructans as the chief photosynthetic product. *A. sisalana* was the common species found throughout Asia with rich inulin content, thus being used as substrate for alcohol and inulinase synthesis [5].
