Psyllium: A Source of Dietary Fiber

Dietary fiber is commonly known as roughage. Fibers are mostly present in vegetables, whole grain, nuts, legumes, and fruits. This is an indigestible part of the food obtained by plants. It includes polysaccharides such as cellulose, hemicellulose, pectic substances, mucilages, gums and lignin as well. Dietary fiber has beneficial physiological effect on health, so it is included in daily diet to decrease occurrence of several diseases. In this sequence, this chapter describes about the dietary fiber, psyllium commonly known as Isabgol which is prepared from the seed of the Plantago ovata Forsk (Psyllium ispaghula). Psyllium is hydrophilic mucilloid, has the capacity to absorb water and increases in volume while absorbing water. Psyllium consists of mixed viscous polysaccharide in which about 35% soluble and 65% insoluble polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) are present. This can be used as gelling, food thickener, emulsifying and stabilizing agents in some food products. Psyllium is a natural biopolymer which has high quantity of hemicelluloses consist of xylan backbone connected with arabinose, galacturonic acid and rhamnose units. Since last many years it is being used as therapeutic agent in several diseases like chronic constipation, inflammation of mucous membrane of GIT tract, duodenal ulcers, piles or diarrohoea etc. It may be source of renewable and biodegradable polymer.