EXPLORING THE FUNCTIONAL AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF PSYLLIUM HUSK ARABINOXYLANS (PHAXS) IN RELATION TO ITS END-USE PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Psyllium husk is a significant functional ingredient in food applications like gluten-free bread and breakfast cereals because it is a rich source of natural dietary fiber with remarkable water absorption and gelling capabilities. The complex, branching arabinoxylan (AX) is the main bioactive ingredient in psyllium husk. This study aimed to investigate the functional and rheological properties of arabinoxylans (PHAXs) extracted from Indian and Pakistani psyllium husk varieties to explore their potential industrial applications. PHAXs were extracted using enzymatic and alkaline methods and characterized for their monosaccharide composition and phenolic acid content. Indian psyllium husk showed higher AX content (37.02 ± 0.05 g/100 g) compared to the Pakistani variety (34.52 ± 0.06 g/100 g), while the Pakistani PHAXs exhibited higher levels of arabinose, xylose, galactose, and glucose. Total phenolic content and flavonoids ranged from 7.82 ± 0.17 to 8.12 ± 0.18 mg GAE/g and 1.95 ± 1.50 to 2.24 ± 0.02 mg CE/g, respectively. Incorporation of 10% PHAXs into wheat flour significantly enhanced dough rheology, improving water absorption (69.98 ± 1.85%), dough stability (4.92 ± 0.7 min), peak height (67.72 ± 0.11 BU), and mixing tolerance index (65.61 ± 0.02%). Dough development time was highest in the control (8.25 ± 0.66 min), while the shortest mixing time (5.72 ± 0.01 min) and lowest dough softness (139 ± 0.02%) were observed in PHAX-enriched samples. Bread prepared with PHAXs (0–10%) showed increased moisture retention and loaf volume, with significantly reduced hardness after six days of storage. Notably, supplementation with 5–10% PHAXs had no adverse effect on overall sensory acceptability. These findings highlight the functional potential of PHAXs as natural additives in bakery and other fiber-enriched food products, supporting their broader use in edible films and pharmaceutical delivery systems.