Plant-wall-rich product with enhanced water-soluble polysaccharide fraction, method of making same

A process for treating a plant-wall rich product which comprises:

• a) optionally adding water to the plant-wall rich product in a divided state in an amount effective to obtain material capable of undergoing a subsequent shearing treatment;
• b) subjecting the product, to which water has optionally been added, to a shearing force;
• c) extruding the product of step (b) to obtain a plant wall-rich product modified to contain a water-soluble polysaccharide fraction which is higher than that existing naturally, without alteration of the overall chemical composition of the plant-wall rich product;
• the modified product being in the form of small-sized aggregate;
• d) optionally grinding the small-sized aggregate to obtain the modified product in pulverulent form;
• e) subjecting the aggregate, optionally in pulverulent form, to aqueous extraction;
• and
• f) optionally recovering a water-soluble fraction and/or an extraction residue.