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Soluble Arabinoxylan

What is soluble arabinoxylan?

Soluble arabinoxylan is a soluble fiber artificially produced from insoluble arabinoxylan from wheat bran ^[5] or from barley, rye, oats, rice and other cereal bran by the use of certain enzymes. It is an indigestible carbohydrate, an oligosaccharide, composed of arabinose and xylose ^[5]. It can be broken down (fermented) by beneficial large intestinal bacteria into gases and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) ^[5].

Wheat Bran Extract as a Food Additive

Wheat bran extract is used as a texturizer in baked goods, beverages, ready-to-eat cereals, frozen dairy desserts, jams, jellies and other foods ^[5].

Soluble Arabinoxylan Supplements

Wheat bran extract is sold as a prebiotic ─ a substance that can promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
Rice bran arabinoxylan is sold as a dietary fiber supplement.

Possible Health Benefits of Soluble Arabinoxylan

Despite few promising studies, there is INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE about the effectiveness of soluble arabinoxylan in prevention or treatment of constipation ^[2,9], asthma, insomnia, cardiovascular disease, chemotherapy side effects, chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis, HIV, herpes zoster, high blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels in diabetes type 2, ^[4,5,9] cancer ^[6,7], improving immunity and preventing infections ^[8], promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria (prebiotic effect) ^[1,2,3], promoting weight loss, or about its antioxidant activity.

Wheat Bran Extract Safety: Side Effects and Dangers

Wheat bran extract is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ^[5]. Doses up to 10 g/day are well tolerated ^[2]. Larger doses may cause abdominal bloating and excessive gas (flatulence) ^[2]. Individuals sensitive to wheat may experience allergic reactions ^[5].

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is wheat bran extract vegan and gluten-free??

Wheat bran extract is derived from wheat so it is vegan but it might not be gluten-free.

Maki KC et al, 2012, Digestive and physiologic effects of a wheat bran extract, arabino-xylan-oligosaccharide, in breakfast cereal ScienceDirect
François IE et al, 2012, Effects of a wheat bran extract containing arabinoxylan oligosaccharides on gastrointestinal health parameters in healthy adult human volunteers: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial PubMed
François IE et al, 2014, Effects of wheat bran extract containing arabinoxylan oligosaccharides on gastrointestinal parameters in healthy preadolescent children PubMed
Jenkins DJ et al, 2002, Effect of wheat bran on glycemic control and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes PubMed
Wheat bran extract (GRAS notification), 2010, US Food and Drug Administration
Gollapudi S et al, 2008, MGN-3/Biobran, modified arabinoxylan from rice bran, sensitizes human breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agent, daunorubicin PubMed
Ghoneum M et al, 2003, Modified arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3/Biobran) sensitizes human T cell leukemia cells to death receptor (CD95)-induced apoptosis PubMed
Ghoneum M et al, 2004, Augmentation of macrophage phagocytosis by modified arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3/biobran) PubMed
Lu ZX et al, 2004, Arabinoxylan fibre improves metabolic control in people with Type II diabetes PubMed