Author(s)

Cassie Anderson, Senay Simsek^*

Cereal Science Graduate Program, Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA.

Arabinoxylan gels are commonly characterized to determine the feasibility of utilizing them in numerous applications such as drug delivery systems. The general characteristics of numerous types of arabinoxylan gels as well as their susceptibility to degradation are discussed in this manuscript. There are two main types of arabinoxylan: water-extractable and alkali-extractable. The physicochemical characteristics of the arabinoxylan determine its extractability and gelling characteristics. Gels can be created from numerous types of arabinoxylan including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.). These gels can also be developed with the addition of protein and/or β-glucan, which results in modified mechanical properties of the gels. To create a sound gel, arabinoxylan must be cross-linked, which is often done through ferulic acid. When this takes place, the gel developed is thermo-irreversible, unsusceptible to pH and electrolyte interactions, and does not undergo syneresis during storage. Despite these strengths, arabinoxylan gels can be broken down by the enzymes produced by Bifidobacterium, which is present in the human large intestine. After further development and research on these gels, they could be utilized for many purposes.

Arabinoxylan, Gel, Rheology, Water Extractable, Alkali Extractable, Wheat, Maize, Polysaccharide

Anderson, C. and Simsek, S. (2018) What Are the Characteristics of Arabinoxylan Gels?. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 9, 818-833. doi: 10.4236/fns.2018.97061.