Arabinoxylans and endoxylanases in wheat flour bread-making

For the past 50 years the function of arabinoxylans in bread-making has been the subject of much debate and controversy. In the last decade, these molecules have been put in the spotlight again inter alia because of the increasing use of endoxylanases in European wheat and rye flour bread-making processes. This renewed interest has led to considerable advances in the understanding of both arabinoxylan and endoxylanase functionalities in bread-making. We here present a survey of the relevant work. Knowledge of both the substrate (arabinoxylan) and the enzyme (endoxylanase), as well as of recently discovered endoxylanase inhibitors, is summarised. Facts on arabinoxylans and endoxylanases in wheat flour bread-making are presented and integrated in an up-to-date view on their functionality in bread-making. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.