Study of the acetylation‐induced changes in the physicochemical and functional characteristics of insoluble dietary fiber from wheat bran

Abstract BACKGROUND Wheat bran is rich in dietary fiber (DF), particularly insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). Although the benefits for human health following the consumption of these DFs have been documented, the lower water retention capacity (WRC) and other properties still limit the applications of DF. Therefore, the current research investigated the impact of acetylation on the changes in the corresponding physicochemical and functional properties of DF. RESULTS The current results indicated the acetylated group restricted the alignment of the molecular chains, which led to an increased amorphous phase in the fiber structure, followed by an enhanced thermal sensitivity and a reduced crystallinity as evidenced by X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the acetylation of the IDFs enhanced the cholesterol absorption capacity, but the corresponding antioxidant capacity and cation exchange capacity were reduced, which might be due to the partial loss of the phenolic compounds onto the polysaccharides during the modification. Interestingly, a lower degree of substitution (DS) of the IDF achieved from water‐acetic anhydride modification led to a higher WRC and water swelling capacity (WSC). In contrast, a higher DS from acetic anhydride modification demonstrated a greatly improved in vitro hypoglycemic performance of the IDF, including α‐amylase inhibitory activity and glucose dialysis retardation index (GDRI), compared to the other samples. CONCLUSION This study highlights a new approach to modify the functionality of IDFs via acetylation and the design of a novel IDF with hypoglycemic activity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.