Effects of lamellar organization and arabinoxylan substitution rate on the properties of films simulating wheat grain aleurone cell wall

Abstract Herein, we evaluated the properties of alternate arabinoxylan (AX)/(1→3) (1→4)-β-D-glucan (BG) multilayer films. AX was extracted from wheat at three growth stages and single-component and alternate overlapping multilayer films were prepared. The physical properties, water diffusion rate, and water mobility of multilayer films during water absorption and desorption were studied. There were significant differences in the AX content and arabinose-to-xylose ratio at different growth stages. The LAX/BG multilayer films showed excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties with an increase in the relative humidity. The AX multilayer films with a low substitution rate showed a better water-binding capacity, whereas water molecules in films with a high substitution rate showed higher mobility. Therefore, a low substitution rate AX and AX/BG composite structure can improve the thermodynamic properties of multilayer films, but limit water mobility. We provide new insights on the physicochemical properties and water-regulation effects of wheat cell wall.