Xylooligosaccharides production process from lignocellulosic biomass and bioactive effects

Abstract

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are sugar oligomers made with xylose units. They are recognized by its great prebiotic potential and nutritional benefits, promoting growth of the probiotic bacteria in the intestinal tract. Other advantages of XOS consumption, which comes from the stimulation of selective growth of the beneficial intestinal microflora, includes reduction of glycemic indexes and cholesterol in the blood, reduction of pro-carcinogenic enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, improvement of the absorption of minerals in the large intestine, in addition to stimulating the immune system. Xylan, the major hemicellulosic component of lignocellulosic materials can be used for XOS production. Therefore, plant biomass in agriculture residues can be a source for that XOS production in a sustainable and affordable way. Although xylan is the most abundant hemicellulose in the majority of cell wall plants, hemicelluloses differ from softwoods, hardwoods and annual plants and that can generate different types of XOS. The production of XOS can be carried out by chemical and enzymatic methods, the latter is preferable in the food industry because does not present secondary reactions or the formation of by-products. Prior to XOS production, hemicellulose needs to be extracted from the lignocellulosic biomass. This study presents XOS as an emerging prebiotic with more emphasis on its production processes and bioactive properties.