1. Introduction
About 15% of flowering plant species store fructans as a
reserve in at least one of their organs during their life
cycle (Hendry 1993). Fructan, in general is a term used
for any carbohydrate in which fructosyl-fructose links
constitute the majority of the glycosidic bonds. Fructans
are linear or branched fructose polymers, which are either
b 2 ® 1 linked inulins or b 2 ® 6 linked levans. Dicotyledonous
species store inulin type fructans consisting of
linear b (2 ® 1) fructofuranosyl units. More complex and
branched type fructans are common in monocots (Vijin
and Smeekens 1999).