The production of fructooligosaccharides from inulin or sucrose using inulinase or fructosyltransferase from Aspergillus ficuum.

A crude "inulinase" system from A. ficuum has been partly characterized and shown to contain at least 3 major enzyme components: Exo-inulinase [EC 3.2.1.80], Endo-inulinase [EC3.2.1.7] and fructosyltransferase [EC 2.4.1.99]. The fructosyltransferase has a pH-optimum of about 5.0 and a temperature optimum of 50°C. It can be used to produce "Neosugar" (a mixture of 1-kestose, nystose etc.) from sucrose. The endo-inulinase has a pH-optimum of about 5.0 and a temperature optimum of 55-60°C. It can convert inulin to a mixture of fructooligosaccharides, mainly inulotriose and inulotetraose. When used in combination with exo-inulinase, it provides an efficient system for producing fructose from inulin.