Di Bartolomeo and Wim Van den Ende

Fructans are fructose-based oligo-and polysaccharides of natural origin. Fructan and fructose species are sometimes confused by the great public, although they clearly have different biochemical and physiological properties. This review discusses aspects of the use of fructose and fructans in foods in the context of human health, with possible differential effects on cellular autophagy in cells of the human body. Although there are uncertainties on the daily levels of ingested fructose to be considered harmful to human health, there is an emerging consensus on the benefits of the use of fructans in functional foods, sustaining health via direct immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects or through indirect, prebiotic mechanisms. Abbreviations. AGEs: advanced glycation end products; ATP III: Adult Treatment Panel III; ChREBP: carbohydrate-responsive element binding protein; CVD: cardiovascular diseases; DHAP: dihydroxyacetone phosphate; eNOS: endothelial nitric oxide synthase; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; FA: fatty acid; FOS: fructo-oligosaccharides; GGT: gamma glutamyl transferase; GI: glycemic index; GLUT: glucose transporter; Gr43a: gustatory receptor 43a; HFCS: high-fructose corn syrup; IRS: insulin receptor substrate; JNK: c-jun Nterminal kinase; NAFLD: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; PFK-1: phosphofructokinase 1; PKC: protein kinase C; RBP-4: retinol binding protein4; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SCFAs: short chain fatty acids; SREBP-1: sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1; TG: triglyceride; VLDL: very-lowdensity lipoproteins