New understanding of pectin as a bioactive dietary fiber

Dietary fibers perform various physiological and metabolic functions in the human body. Pectin, a water-soluble dietary fiber, is a natural complex heteropolysaccharide composed of galacturonic acid residues and a variety of neutral sugars such as rhamnose, galactose, and arabinose. It is a constituent of the cell wall and is conserved in all terrestrial plants. Besides the health benefits associated with dietary fibers, new health-related functions are being explored, particularly those related to the bioactive roles in inducing morphological changes in the small intestine. This review discusses the structure of pectin, its widely known physiological functions, and the new developments in pectin research.