Arabinoxylans (AXs) are the major structural cell wall component of various cereal brans. As an important dietary fiber source, AXs contain ferulic acids, proteins and other functional ester compounds. These functional components offer AXs well-established health benefits, such as prebiotic effect, antioxidant property, antitumor activity and immunomodulatory property. In addition, the presence of ferulic acids could trigger the covalent cross-linking of AX molecules under oxidative conditions, and therefore AX could be used as a promising functional biomaterial for fabrication of hydrogels. The formed covalent gels are resistant to harsh digestive condition, which could be developed as colon-targeted delivery system for food and biomedical application. This article aims to summarize the extraction methods of wheat arabinoxylans, discuss the covalent gelling mechanism of AX, and review the potential application of AX in food and biomedical industries.

Wheat arabinoxylans, Extraction methods, Gelling mechanism, Colon-target delivery system