Arabinoxylans

Polysaccharides built from arabinose and xylose — the principal hemicelluloses of cereal cell walls and the main constituents of the pentosan fraction in wheat, rye and other grains. They matter technologically in baking and brewing: water-extractable arabinoxylans raise dough viscosity and stabilise gas cells, improving loaf volume, while insoluble forms bind water and influence crumb firmness and staling. In brewing they affect wort viscosity and filtration performance. As soluble cereal fibres they also contribute to the health reputation of whole grains, fermenting in the colon into beneficial short-chain fatty acids.