Effects of Wheat Bran‐Derived Arabinoxylan Oligosaccharides on Dough and Noodle‐Making Properties

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives This study investigates the structural modifications of arabinoxylan (AX) through enzymatic hydrolysis and evaluates the potential application of arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (AXOS) as functional ingredients in wheat noodles, contrasting their effects with those of native AX. Findings AXOS exhibits a notably higher proportion of unsubstituted xylose residues (69.1%) than native AX (53.3%), resulting in reduced water‐solvent retention capacity (SRC). Supplementation with AXOS (2%–6%) supports stable dough development and gluten network formation, similar to the control group, whereas native AX contributes to unstable viscoelastic properties because of excessive water absorption. Although AXOS supplementation slightly reduces noodle firmness and chewiness relative to the control, it better preserves textural integrity than native AX. Importantly, noodles containing AXOS exhibit superior functional properties, including significantly higher total phenolic content and ABTS radical‐scavenging activity in both fresh and cooked forms. Conclusions AXOS is a promising functional ingredient for enhancing the nutritional profile of wheat noodles without inducing the adverse processing effects associated with high‐molecular‐weight AX, provided that supplementation levels are carefully optimized. Significance and Novelty This study constitutes the first direct scientific comparison of noodle‐making performance between AXOS and native AX supplementation groups.