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Increasing dietary fibre (DF) intake is an important target to improve health. An attractive strategy for this is to increase DF in wheat which is derived principally from the endosperm cell wall polysaccharide arabinoxylan (AX). The water‐extractable form of this (WE‐AX) accounts for most soluble dietary fibre (SDF), which is believed to confer particular health benefits. A region of chromosome 6B in some wheat varieties confers high SDF and here we show that the cause is an allele encoding a peroxidase family protein with a single residue change (PER1‐v) associated with high WE‐AX, compared to the more common form (PER1). Both wheat lines carrying this natural PER1‐v variant and those with an induced knockout mutation of PER1 showed reduced dimerization of endosperm ferulate consistent with a mechanism of decreased cross‐linking in the cell wall that increases WE‐AX. Transiently expressed PER1_(R)FP fusion protein driven by the native promoter in wheat endosperm was shown to localise to cell walls, whereas PER1‐v_(R)FP did not. We therefore propose that PER1‐v lacks the capacity to dimerise AX ferulate in vivo due to mis‐localisation caused by the missense single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the PER1‐v allele, so that the SNP acts as a perfect marker. This marker can be used to identify current wheat varieties with high WE‐AX to be used by processors and by breeders to ensure future varieties have high WE‐AX to make healthier wheat‐based foods.

Funding Information: This project was funded by the PhD Fellows grant awarded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P., with the project references 2021.08511.BD and 2020.05529.BD and DOI identifiers https://doi.org/10.54499/2021.08511.BD and https://doi.org/10.54499/2020.05529.BD. This research was also supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQV—which received financial support from the FCT/MCTES (LA/P/0008/2020 DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0008/2020, UIDP/50006/2020 DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50006/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020 DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50006/2020) using national funds. This work was also funded by national funds provided by the FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia—I.P., under project UIDB/04129/2020 of the LEAF—Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food—Research Unit. Publisher Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Arabinoxylan is a polysaccharide with film-forming properties, present in corn fiber, and a low-value by-product. The extract has a deep brown color, producing films of the same shade, which may not be appealing. This study addresses, for the first time, the adsorption of colored compounds present in an arabinoxylan extract using resin MN102. The resin successfully adsorbed the colored compounds from the arabinoxylan extract. After four consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles, the efficiency of the resin was similar, only decreasing from 63.3% to 52.9%. Langmuir and Freundlich models were fitted to the results of adsorption isotherm experiments, with the Freundlich model demonstrating the best fit to the experimental results. A fixed-bed column loaded with the resin was used for the removal of the colored compounds from the arabinoxylan extract, and the effect of the volumetric flow rate was investigated. The Yan and log-Gompertz models showed the best fit to the experimental breakthrough curves. This study systematically evaluated the adsorption conditions, providing a comprehensive analysis of the performance of the resin in the removal of the colored compounds. Additionally, the ability of the extract to maintain its film-forming properties after decolorization was evaluated, and some of the film’s key characteristics were evaluated, namely its color, solubility in water and mechanical properties.

Solventogenic Clostridium species can efficiently produce n -butanol and other valuable chemicals via acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation from plant-based feedstocks. For economic and ecological sustainability, cheap and abundant substrates such as lignocellulosic and hemicellulosic residues from agricultural or forestry side streams are preferable. Cereal brans, rich in hemicellulose, represent a promising substrate. However, for direct fermentation of this material, only low product titers are reported. In this study, we characterized the utilization of arabinoxylan, the main polysaccharide component of cereal bran, by the industrial ABE producer Clostridium saccharobutylicum DSM 13864 T and report inefficient degradation of the substrate. Supplementation with hemicellulolytic enzyme mixtures derived from the thermophilic organism Thermoclostridium stercorarium subsp. stercorarium DSM 8532 T significantly enhanced substrate utilization. The best improvement was achieved by the addition of the arabinofuranosidase Axh43A, which reduced the residual sugar content in the fermentation broth from 48.2 to 17.8%. Analysis of the remaining oligosaccharides after growth on arabinoxylan showed that C. saccharobutylicum cannot remove O -2 and O -3 α-L-arabinofuranosyl groups from double-substituted xyloses, creating a key bottleneck in arabinoxylan degradation that is overcome by Axh43A addition. Plasmid-based expression of Axh43A in C. saccharobutylicum DSM 13864 T replicated the enzymatic supplementation effects, confirming the enzyme’s role in overcoming this limitation. This underscores the potential of genetic engineering to enhance the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass in biotechnological fermentation processes. Key Points C. saccharobutylicum DSM 13864 T insufficiently utilizes cereal arabinoxylan. Inability to cleave double-arabinosylated xylose moieties limits degradation. Heterologous expression of Axh43A strongly increases arabinoxylan utilization. Graphical Abstract

Arabinoxylan is a polysaccharide with film-forming properties, present in corn fiber, and a low-value by-product. The extract has a deep brown color, producing films of the same shade, which may not be appealing. This study addresses, for the first time, the adsorption of colored compounds present in an arabinoxylan extract using resin MN102. The resin successfully adsorbed the colored compounds from the arabinoxylan extract. After four consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles, the efficiency of the resin was similar, only decreasing from 63.3% to 52.9%. Langmuir and Freundlich models were fitted to the results of adsorption isotherm experiments, with the Freundlich model demonstrating the best fit to the experimental results. A fixed-bed column loaded with the resin was used for the removal of the colored compounds from the arabinoxylan extract, and the effect of the volumetric flow rate was investigated. The Yan and log-Gompertz models showed the best fit to the experimental breakthrough curves. This study systematically evaluated the adsorption conditions, providing a comprehensive analysis of the performance of the resin in the removal of the colored compounds. Additionally, the ability of the extract to maintain its film-forming properties after decolorization was evaluated, and some of the film’s key characteristics were evaluated, namely its color, solubility in water and mechanical properties.

The aim of this study is to review the innovative techniques based on bioprocessing, thermal or physical treatments which have been proposed during the last few decades to convert rice bran into a valuable food ingredient. Rice bran (Oryza sativa) is the main by-product of rice grain processing. It is produced in large quantities worldwide and it contains a high amount of valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds with significant health-related properties. Despite that, its application in food industry is still scarce because of its sensitivity to oxidation processes, instability and poor technological suitability. Furthermore, the health-related effects of pretreated rice bran are also presented in this review, considering the up-to-date literature focused on both in vivo and in vitro studies. Moreover, in relation to this aspect, a brief description of rice bran arabinoxylans is provided. Finally, the application of rice bran in the food industry and the main technology aspects are concisely summarized.

Understanding how dietary nutrients modulate the gut microbiome is of great interest for the development of food products and eating patterns for combatting the global burden of non-communicable diseases. In this narrative review we assess scientific studies published from 2005 to 2019 that evaluated the effect of micro- and macro-nutrients on the composition of the gut microbiome using in vitro and in vivo models, and human clinical trials. The clinical evidence for micronutrients is less clear and generally lacking. However, preclinical evidence suggests that red wine- and tea-derived polyphenols and vitamin D can modulate potentially beneficial bacteria. Current research shows consistent clinical evidence that dietary fibers, including arabinoxylans, galacto-oligosaccharides, inulin, and oligofructose, promote a range of beneficial bacteria and suppress potentially detrimental species. The preclinical evidence suggests that both the quantity and type of fat modulate both beneficial and potentially detrimental microbes, as well as the Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio in the gut. Clinical and preclinical studies suggest that the type and amount of proteins in the diet has substantial and differential effects on the gut microbiota. Further clinical investigation of the effect of micronutrients and macronutrients on the microbiome and metabolome is warranted, along with understanding how this influences host health.

The consumption of whole grain products is often related to beneficial effects on consumer health. Dietary fibre is an important component present in whole grains and is believed to be (at least partially) responsible for these health benefits. The dietary fibre composition of whole grains is very distinct over different grains. Whole grains of cereals and pseudo-cereals are rich in both soluble and insoluble functional dietary fibre that can be largely classified as e.g., cellulose, arabinoxylan, β-glucan, xyloglucan and fructan. However, even though the health benefits associated with the consumption of dietary fibre are well known to scientists, producers and consumers, the consumption of dietary fibre and whole grains around the world is substantially lower than the recommended levels. This review will discuss the types of dietary fibre commonly found in cereals and pseudo-cereals, their nutritional significance and health benefits observed in animal and human studies.

This review article revises the sustainable practices and applications to valorize valuable components recovered from cereal processing by-products. After introducing cereal processing by-products, their healthy compounds, and corresponding functional properties, the article explores reutilization opportunities of by-products emphasizing specific sources (e.g., oat and wheat bran, distillers’ dried grains, etc.) and the biorefinery approach. Proteins and soluble dietary fibers such as arabinoxylans are of particular interest due to their content in the cereal processing by-products and their easy extraction based on conventional technologies such as enzyme-assisted extraction and membrane filtration. Non-thermal technologies have also been suggested to improve sustainability recovery approaches. Finally, the article discusses the different applications for the recovered high-added value compounds that span across biotechnology, foods, and bakery products.

The most commonly used method for the measurement of the level of endo-xylanase in commercial enzyme preparations is the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) reducing sugar method with birchwood xylan as substrate. It is well known that with the DNS method, much higher enzyme activity values are obtained than with the Nelson-Somogyi (NS) reducing sugar method. In this paper, we have compared the DNS and NS reducing sugar assays using a range of xylan-type substrates and accurately compared the molar response factors for xylose and a range of xylo-oligosaccharides. Purified beechwood xylan or wheat arabinoxylan is shown to be a suitable replacement for birchwood xylan which is no longer commercially available, and it is clearly demonstrated that the DNS method grossly overestimates endo-xylanase activity. Unlike the DNS assay, the NS assay gave the equivalent colour response with equimolar amounts of xylose, xylobiose, xylotriose and xylotetraose demonstrating that it accurately measures the quantity of glycosidic bonds cleaved by the endo-xylanase. The authors strongly recommend cessation of the use of the DNS assay for measurement of endo-xylanase due to the fact that the values obtained are grossly overestimated due to secondary reactions in colour development.

The health benefits of fibre consumption are sound, but a more compressive understanding of the individual effects of different fibres is still needed. Arabinoxylan is a complex fibre that provides a wide range of health benefits strongly regulated by its chemical structure. Arabinoxylans can be found in various grains, such as wheat, barley, or corn. This review addresses the influence of the source of origin and extraction process on arabinoxylan structure. The health benefits related to short-chain fatty acid production, microbiota regulation, antioxidant capacity, and blood glucose response control are discussed and correlated to the arabinoxylan’s structure. However, most studies do not investigate the effect of AX as a pure ingredient on food systems, but as fibres containing AXs (such as bran). Therefore, AX’s benefit for human health deserves further investigation. The relationship between arabinoxylan structure and its physicochemical influence on cereal products (pasta, cookies, cakes, bread, and beer) is also discussed. A strong correlation between arabinoxylan’s structural properties (degree of branching, solubility, and molecular mass) and its functionalities in food systems can be observed. There is a need for further studies that address the health implications behind the consumption of arabinoxylan-rich products. Indeed, the food matrix may influence the effects of arabinoxylans in the gastrointestinal tract and determine which specific arabinoxylans can be included in cereal and non-cereal-based food products without being detrimental for product quality.