Inter- and Intraspecific Variability in Non-Starch Polysaccharide Composition of <i>Satureja</i> Species from Tunisia: Implications for Functional Food Development.

ABSTRACT: Non-starch polysaccharides, the primary structural component of dietary fiber, play critical roles in metabolic and digestive health through multiple physiological mechanisms, yet their composition in Mediterranean aromatic plants remains poorly characterized, limiting the development of novel functional food ingredients. This study provides the first comprehensive NSP profiling of 22 populations across three Tunisian Satureja species (S. nervosa, S. graeca, and endemic S. barceloi), using enzymatic analysis, gas chromatography, and multivariate statistics. Total non-starch polysaccharides reached exceptional levels (21.5 ± 3.0 g/100 g dry weight (DW)), with several populations exhibiting unprecedented soluble fiber proportions exceeding 50%, including populatio

SUBMITTER: Raadani A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12897150 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature