2026/06/10 by Natalia-María Nogueira-Prieto, Andrea Rodríguez-Sanz, Manuel Becerra +1 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Engineering · Nursing · #Biofuel production and bioconversion #Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology #Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
paper · doi:10.1016/j.bcdf.2026.100543
openalex publication_date 2026/06/10 · openalex created_date 2026/06/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/18
Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are emerging prebiotics whose biological functionality is strongly influenced by their structural features, which depend on the source and production method. The objective of this study was to evaluate the structural characteristics, digestibility, and prebiotic and bioactive properties of a XOS hydrolysate powder derived from wheat straw (XOS WS ), an abundant lignocellulosic byproduct. XOS were produced by alkaline pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and were characterized by HPLC-RID, MALDI-TOF-MS, and FTIR, confirming the presence of oligomers with degrees of polymerization between 2 and 6, which are associated with high prebiotic potential. In vitro digestion assays using rat small intestine extract demonstrated that most XOS resisted intestinal enzymatic hydrolysis, supporting their ability to reach the colon practically intact. Prebiotic assays with individual strains revealed selective stimulation of Bifidobacterium and Weissella , while no growth was observed for Lactobacillus strains. XOS WS exhibited concentration-dependent antioxidant activity and showed no cytotoxic effects in THP-1, RAW 264.7, and 3T3-L1 cell lines. In addition, immunomodulatory effects were evidenced by reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and modulation of NF-κB signalling in immune cells. The novelty of this work lies in the integrated functional evaluation of wheat straw-derived XOS, a source that has been largely unexplored in terms of bioactivity. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of wheat straw XOS as sustainable, value-added nutraceutical ingredients, supporting the valorisation of agricultural residues.