Pectins are plant cell wall natural heteropolysaccharides composed mainly of α-1-4 d-galacturonic acid units, which may or may not be methyl esterified, possesses neutral sugars branching that harbor functional moieties. Physicochemical features as pH, temperature, ions concentration, and cosolute presence, affect directly the extraction yield and gelling capacity of pectins. The chemical and structural features of this polysaccharide enables its interaction with a wide range of molecules, a property that scientists profit from to form new composite matrices for target/controlled delivery of therapeutic molecules, genes or cells. Considered a prebiotic dietary fiber, pectins meetmany regulations easily, regarding health applications within the pharmaceutical industry as a raw material and as an agent for the prevention of cancer. Thus, this review lists many emergent pectin-based composite materials which will probably palliate the impact of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, aid to forestall actual epidemics, expand the ken of food additives and food products design.

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Micro- and nanotechnology are tools being used strongly in the area of food technology. The electrospray technique is booming because of its importance in developing micro- and nanoparticles containing an active ingredient as bioactive compounds, enhancing molecules of flavors, odors, and packaging coatings, and developing polymers that are obtained from food (proteins, carbohydrates), as chitosan, alginate, gelatin, agar, starch, or gluten. The electrospray technique compared to conventional techniques such as nanoprecipitation, emulsion-diffusion, double-emulsification, and layer by layer provides greater advantages to develop micro- and nanoparticles because it is simple, low cost, uses a low amount of solvents, and products are obtained in one step. This technique could also be applied in the agrifood sector for the preparation of controlled and/or prolonged release systems of fertilizer or agrochemicals, for which more research must be conducted.

In the last years, biomedical research has focused its efforts in the development of new oral delivery systems for the treatment of different diseases. Ferulated arabinoxylans are polysaccharides from cereals that have been gaining attention in the pharmaceutical field due to their prebiotic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The antioxidant and anticancer properties of these polysaccharides make them attractive compounds for the treatment of cancer, particularly colon cancer. In addition, ferulated arabinoxylans can form covalent gels through the cross-linking of their ferulic acids. Due to their particular characteristics, ferulated arabinoxylan gels represent an excellent alternative as colon-targeted drug delivery systems. The aim of the present work is to review the physicochemical and functional properties of ferulated arabinoxylans and their gels and to present the future perspectives for potential application as antioxidant and anticancer agents.

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Arabinoxylans (AX) treated with protease and dialyzed (AXP) or only dialyzed (AXD) formed gels showing an increase in the elastic modulus G 0 (1291 and 1419 Pa, respectively) and the ferulic acid dimers (3.34 and 3.10 μg/mg polysaccharide, respectively) and trimers (0.51 and 0.53 μg/mg polysaccharide, respectively) in comparison to AX gels (767 Pa, 0.56 and 0.12 μg/mg polysaccharide, respectively). Nevertheless, the G 0 values and crosslinking contents were not different among the AXP and AXD gels, suggesting that the amount of protein removed (54%) does not affect these parameters. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis showed that AXP treatment promotes the homogeneity of the gels. In addition, scanning electron microscopy observations indicated that AXD and particularly AXP gels had a more compact microstructure. Thus, the partial removal of protein associated with AX does not impact the viscoelasticity and crosslinking content of the gels formed but could improve their microstructural characteristics.

Feruloylated arabinoxylans are the major non-starch polysaccharides from the cereal cell walls. Depending on the source, arabinoxylans exhibit different molecular features, which are determinants for their functional properties. Feruloylated arabinoxylans are of considerable importance in cereal process such as bread making and brewing. This polysaccharide represents a significant portion of human dietary fiber intake offering nutritional benefits as soluble and insoluble fiber. The presence of ferulic acid in arabinoxylans confers them antioxidant properties. Feruloylated arabinoxylans posses a unique capacity to form covalent gels in the presence of free radical-generating agents. The gels formed present interesting characteristics as neutral odor and taste, stability to pH and electrolyte concentration changes and a macroporous structure, which give them potential applications as matrices for controlled release in food and non-food applications. In this manuscript are reviewed the chemical structure, sources and applications of feruloylated arabinoxylans and arabinoxylan gels.

In the present study water extractable arabinoxylans (WEAX) from a Mexican spring wheat flour (cv. Tacupeto F2001) were isolated, characterized and gelled and the gel rheological properties and microstructure were investigated. These WEAX presented an arabinose to xylose ratio of 0.66, a ferulic acid and diferulic acid content of 0.526 and 0.036 µg/mg WEAX, respectively and a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectrum typical of arabinoxylans. The intrinsic viscosity and viscosimetric molecular weight values for WEAX were 3.5 dL/g and 504 kDa, respectively. WEAX solution at 2% (w/v) formed gels induced by a laccase as cross-linking agent. Cured WEAX gels registered storage (G') and loss (G'') modulus values of 31 and 5 Pa, respectively and a diferulic acid content of 0.12 µg/mg WEAX, only traces of triferulic acid were detected. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the lyophilized WEAX gels showed that this material resembles that of an imperfect honeycomb.