Inulin-bearing Plants of Kyrgyzstan

INULIN-BEARING PLANTS

A number of plants containing inulin— a substance that converts to sugar under the influence of acids— can be found in Kyrgyzstan.

Inulin-bearing plants include: chicory, large-leaved butterbur, dandelion, Elecampane, burdock, some species of wormwood, onion, and others.

Chicory. It is the most valuable inulin-bearing plant. This perennial plant (from the Asteraceae family) can reach up to 100 cm in height. The stems are highly branched. The leaves are finely divided and collected in a basal rosette. The stems are sparsely covered with leaves, but there can be many baskets with blue flowers on the plant. The root of chicory has long been used to prepare coffee substitutes, as inulin is a key component of coffee. Chicory grows in gardens, orchards, and fields. It is even considered a weed. However, in reality, it is a valuable plant not only for its inulin but also for its medicinal properties.

Large-leaved butterbur.
A perennial plant with very large leaves (up to 80 cm long and up to 35 cm wide).

It grows in tall grass meadows. Its roots and rhizomes contain up to 30% inulin. In Kazakhstan, it is used in winemaking, but in Kyrgyzstan, it is not utilized as an inulin-bearing plant at all. At the same time, butterbur should be widely used, as it forms meadows in many areas, but as a fodder plant, it is hardly eaten by livestock. In some places, it is even considered a weedy plant.

Overall, not only butterbur but also other inulin-bearing plants in Kyrgyzstan are almost not used, although their widespread cultivation for the national economy of the republic would undoubtedly be beneficial.