Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: F008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F008
Published online: 22 April 2026
Cereal arabinoxylans as modulators of the gut-brain axis with potential neuroprotective significance
Paulina Łysakowska*, Anna Wirkijowska and Aldona Sobota
Department of Engineering and Cereals Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 8 Skromna St., 20-704 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: paulina.lysakowska@up.edu.pl
Arabinoxylans (AX) are among the dominant non-starch polysaccharides found in the cell walls of cereals, particularly wheat, rye and barley, where they are predominantly localised in peripheral grain tissues including the pericarp-seed coat, aleurone layer, and endosperm cell walls. Structurally, arabinoxylans consist of a linear β-(1→4)-D-xylopyranose backbone substituted with α-L-arabinofuranosyl residues at the O-2 and/or O-3 positions. Their physicochemical and biological properties are determined by a range of structural parameters, including the arabinose-to-xylose ratio (Ara/Xyl), molecular weight, degree of substitution, and the presence of ferulic acid residues capable of forming di- and triferulic acid crosslinks between polysaccharide chains. In cereal science, water-extractable (WEAX) and water-unextractable (WUAX) fractions of arabinoxylans are distinguished, differing in their degree of polymerisation and susceptibility to enzymatic depolymerisation leading to arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (AXOS). The aim of this review was to summarise current knowledge on the role of cereal arabinoxylans in modulating the gut-brain axis, defined as a bidirectional communication system linking the gastrointestinal tract, gut microbiota, and the central nervous system (CNS).
Fermentable fractions of arabinoxylans and their oligosaccharides (AXOS) are metabolised by saccharolytic gut bacteria, leading to increased production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including butyrate, propionate and acetate. These metabolites play a key role in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, regulating immune responses, and modulating neuroinflammatory processes. Butyrate additionally crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB), where it acts as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, promoting chromatin acetylation and upregulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein critical for synaptic neuroplasticity and neuronal stress resilience. In experimental models, dietary interventions with arabinoxylan have been shown to increase the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria, including selected members of Oscillospiraceae and the Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, leading to elevated butyrate concentrations.
In a rat model of post-stroke depression (PSD), arabinoxylan supplementation at a dose of 0.8 g/kg body weight per day for 28 days was associated with increased expression of BDNF, TrkB and p-CREB in the prefrontal cortex, elevated levels of monoamine neurotransmitters (5-HT, DA and NE), as well as enrichment of bacterial taxa including Bifidobacterium, Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Dubosiella and Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group. These findings suggest that arabinoxylans may exert neuroprotective effects through modulation of gut microbiota composition, bacterial metabolism (including SCFA production and HDAC inhibition), and neuroimmunological pathways of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. However, available evidence derives exclusively from animal models, underscoring the need for clinical trials in human populations.
Keywords: arabinoxylans; gut microbiota; neuroprotection; short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
How to cite
Łysakowska P., Wirkijowska A., Sobota A., 2026. Cereal arabinoxylans as modulators of the gut-brain axis with potential neuroprotective significance. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F008