Unveiling the Health Benefits of Inulin: A Dietary Fiber Worth Embracing

This review explores inulin as a versatile dietary fiber, covering its extraction, characterization, functional properties, applications, chemical modifications and sustainability. It first presents conventional and emerging extraction methods, including hot water, microwave and ultrasound‑assisted extraction, enzymatic processes and pulsed electric fields, together with purification by ion‑exchange resins and membrane filtration, and analytical techniques (FTIR, HPLC, TLC) used to identify and quantify inulin. The influence of degree of polymerization and molecular weight distribution on solubility, rheology, thermal stability and sweetness is then discussed, highlighting inulin’s role as a fat and sugar replacer in complex food matrices. The manuscript reviews applications in food, pharmaceutical, agricultural and cosmetic fields, focusing on prebiotic effects, texture modulation, drug delivery and biostimulant potential. Significant attention is given to chemically modified inulins (butyrate, acetyl, carboxymethyl, and other functionality derivatives) that provide enhanced stability, bioactivity, encapsulation efficiency, and sensory characteristics. Finally, the review examines economic, environmental, and social aspects, focusing on the valorization of chicory and artichoke by-products and positions inulin as a key ingredient for the developed of healthier and more sustainable products.