Cellular-scale milling enhances xylo-oligosaccharides selectivity and polyphenols co-production in sugarcane bagasse...

The recalcitrance of cell wall impedes the efficient depolymerization of hemicellulose, limiting xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) production. In this study, cellular-scale milling was applied to disrupt the cell wall structure. and its effect on XOS production and apparent total phenolic concentration during hydrothermal treatment was investigated. Milling improved XOS selectivity over by-products. Specifically, at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 (m/v), milling increased XOS concentrations to 13.92 and 13.76 g/L under optimal hydrothermal conditions, representing a 14.67%-20.81% increase over un-milled samples. Concurrently, the apparent total phenolic concentration increased by 8.34%-17.67%. Conversely, concentrations of xylose and furfural decreased by 16.67%-17.67% and 21.55%-37.12%, respectively. Moreover, the unpurified hydrolysate demonstrated higher antioxidant and antidiabetic activities than commercial XOS. In vitro fermentation showed it promoted short-chain fatty acid production and modulated gut microbiota, which confirmed core prebiotic functionality of the unpurified hydrolysate, supporting its value as a multifunctional ingredient.