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The computer model for a dimer of inulinase from Aspergillus ficuum is designed. The permolecular organization of inulinase from Aspergillus niger is experimentally investigated. The question about the role of various inulinase forms in manifestation of their functional activity is discussed. It is shown, that in the process of inulinase dimerization when contacts between monomeric forms of the enzyme are formed, a key role belongs to the nonpolar amino acid residues.

Cichorium intybus is an herbaceous perennial, known as a coffee substitute. It possesses a wide range of healing characteristics particularly due to inulin, one of its components. Inulin is a natural polysaccharide, a polyfructosane containing 27-35 fructose residues in furanose form and glucose residue. When inulin is in the alimentary tract it passes to the stomach and the small intestine unchangeable. In large intestine inulin is fermented by bifidobacteria and then converted in to a great number of short-chain fatty acids. Due to the process it stimulated the growth of bifidobacteria population and reduces that of pathogenic microorganisms. The increase of pool of healthy intestinalflora normalizes the passage of fieces masses through the intestine, improves immunologic status, regulates carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The paper presents experimental and clinic studies confirming bifidogenic, immunogenic, anticancerous, hepatoprotective characteristics of inulin and cichorium intybus.

Polyanions (in an amount within 1.5 - 6.0 mg), including cellulose sulfates (excreted from Gossipium hirsutum L., molecular weight 22.0 kDa, degree of sulfation within 0.8 - 1.8), inulin sulfates (excreted from Helianthus tuberosus, molecular weight 8.0 kDa, degree of sulfation within 0.6 - 1.6), pectin sulfates (excreted from Abies sibirica L., molecular weight 24.0 kDa, degree of sulfation within 0.8 - 1.1), give rise to peaks of precipitation with polycations of protamine sulfate. Only cellulose sulfates (in amount within 0.38 - 6.00 mg) give the peaks of precipitation with chitosan polycations (molecular weight 10 kDa, degree of deacetylation 85%) during horizontal biospecific electrophoresis. The height of the peak of precipitation with protamin sulfate was found to grow with increasing antithrombin activity of cellulose sulfates and pectin sulfate (for polyanions in an amount within 1.5 - 6 mg). The size of the area of precipitation with chitosan was found to decrease with increasing antithrombin activity of cellulose sulfates.

Radiochemical transformations of inulin in aqueous solutions, in air, in the presence of inert gases, helium, nitrogen, and in nitrous oxide exposed to various doses of 60Co gamma irradiation were investigated. It was shown that interactions of inulin with OH radicals are principally responsible for radiolytic decomposition of inulin. The data on radiolysis of more simple model systems were used to make available decomposition of absorption spectra of gamma-irradiated aerated aqueous solution of inulin.