Ferulic acid mediates prebiotic responses of cereal-derived arabinoxylans on host health

Dietary fiber is named as “the 7th nutrient” for humans, which is beneficial to improve intestinal healthand prevent metabolic disease of the host. Mechanisms of dietary fiber administration on improved hosthealth are mediated by short chain fatty acids (SCFA), which are reported to activate G protein-coupledreceptors (GPR) and suppress activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) to down-regulate expression ofnuclear factor-к-gene binding (NF-кB) signaling. Arabinoxylan is fermented by gut microbiota to produceSCFA and improved microbial community composition, intestinal barrier functions and host health.Interestingly, the latest publications have observed that ferulic acid combined with the arabinose inarabinoxylans from various cereal grains can be released through gut microbial fermentation. Ferulic acidcan improve antioxidase activity and decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration by activatingthe signaling pathway of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 and nuclear factor E2-related factor-2(Keap1-Nrf2). However, the role of ferulic acid in cooperation with SCFA produced from microbialfermentation of cereal-derived arabinoxylan to regulate the intestinal health and host metabolisms, hasbeen widely unclear. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms of ferulic acid from microbialfermentation of cereal-derived arabinoxylans on immunological functions and physiological metabolismsof the host. The evidence presented in the review indicates that dietary supplementation withcereal-derived arabinoxylans improves antioxidant capacity of intestinal epithelial cells due to theproduction of ferulic acid and SCFA from microbial fermentation. Ferulic acid can cooperate with SCFA toregulate intestinal integrity and immunological functions of the host. Peroxisome proliferator activatedreceptorg (PPARg) may play an important role in integrating ferulic acid and SCFA to regulate host healthand metabolism.