DIETARY FIBER FROM MANGO BY-PRODUCTS - CHARACTERIZATION AND HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECTS DETERMINED BY INVITRO METHODS

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) byproducts, which represent 35-60 % of the processed fruit, are a potential source of dietary fiber. After ethanolic purification, we found that peels and fibrous waste pulp had a high dietary fiber content (74 % of the dry matter) with a soluble/insoluble ratio close to 1 and a 15-20 % uronic acid content. The fiber water-soluble fraction showed shear-thinning behavior. In vitro studies indicate that these fibers decreased total starch digestibility and slowed the final rate of amylolysis of mashed potatoes as the starch source. Glucose diffusion was also retarded in the presence of mango fiber. These results suggest that mango byproducts are a good source of dietary fiber which could be of potential benefit in controlling plasma glucose.