Synergistic effect of arabinoxylan and (1,3)(1,4)-β-glucan reduces the starch hydrolysis rate in wheat flour

The magnitude of nutrient content variability in wheat grains differs by region owing to various environmental factors. Arabinoxylan (AX), the main component of the wheat grain cell wall, plays a key role in determining the quality of dough and final flour products. In the present study, AX was extracted from 10 different genotypes of wheat grains originating from various regions. The molecular weight difference was the largest between Kaifeng-AX (78 × 103 g/mol) and Yangzhou-AX (175 × 103 g/mol). Furthermore, molecular, functional, and nutritional properties—including texture, antioxidant, and in vitro digestion simulation properties—of AX and/or (1,3)(1,4)-β-glucan (BG) flour products were analyzed with respect to storage conditions. The results showed that the higher the molecular weight of AX in bread, the lower the hydrolysis rate of starch. Moreover, the bread samples with AX and BG had the lowest hydrolysis rate; the two polysaccharides of the cell wall exhibited a synergistic effect on starch hydrolysis rate. The sustainable synergistic action of BG and AX improved the wrapping of starch particles and markedly delayed the hydrolysis rate of starch.