Feruloylated arabinoxylans and arabinoxylan gels: structure, sources and applications

Feruloylated arabinoxylans are the major non-starch polysaccharides from the cereal cell walls. Depending on the source, arabinoxylans exhibit different molecular features, which are determinants for their functional properties. Feruloylated arabinoxylans are of considerable importance in cereal process such as bread making and brewing. This polysaccharide represents a significant portion of human dietary fiber intake offering nutritional benefits as soluble and insoluble fiber. The presence of ferulic acid in arabinoxylans confers them antioxidant properties. Feruloylated arabinoxylans posses a unique capacity to form covalent gels in the presence of free radical-generating agents. The gels formed present interesting characteristics as neutral odor and taste, stability to pH and electrolyte concentration changes and a macroporous structure, which give them potential applications as matrices for controlled release in food and non-food applications. In this manuscript are reviewed the chemical structure, sources and applications of feruloylated arabinoxylans and arabinoxylan gels.