Arabinoxylans are a group of compounds with a basic structure consisting of
a xylose backbone with arabinose side chains. Variations in structure occur as a result
of variations in the xylose chain length, the ratio of arabinose to xylose and the
introduction of alternative side-chains. This allows for an enormous potential range of
structures. Arabinoxylans are major components of the cell walls of cereals. They have
been reported to have numerous health benefits. This chapter presents a systematic
description of the molecular features of arabinoxylans and relates these to the different
extraction technologies used to obtain them. The proposal, that their immune
modulation activity is related to their molecular weight and structure, is presented.
Results demonstrating the effects of various arabinoxylans in various in vitro
immunological tests are discussed.
Keywords: Arabinoxylans, Extraction, Modification and Immune Modulation,
Molecular structure.