Feruloylation of arabinoxylan enhances the protective effects on probiotic viability and stability in tablet formulations

Maintaining probiotic viability during storage and gastrointestinal transit is crucial for supplement efficacy. This study was to investigate the protective effects of modified arabinoxylan (AX) by feruloylation in tablets. AX was feruloylated with various ferulic acid (FA) contents (0–106 mg/g) into high (H-FAX), medium (M-FAX), and low (L-FAX) FA content matrices. Tube inversion test revealed that increased FA content reduced the critical concentration for gel formation, with H-FAX showing gelation at 25 % w/v compared to 35 % w/v for L-FAX. The FAX matrices demonstrated superior protection of probiotic during tablet compression compared to conventional excipients, maintaining viability above 7.95 × 10 9  CFU/tablet. Higher FA content improved mechanical properties resulted in better probiotic survival rates in simulated gastric (pH 2.0) and intestinal (pH 7.2) conditions. Storage at 4 °C maintained probiotic viability above 4.67 × 10 9  CFU/tablet for 12 months. The FAX matrix's protective barrier slowed probiotic release and shielded cells from harsh gastrointestinal conditions, while bound ferulic acid's antioxidant effects enhanced survival, ensuring effective colon delivery. These findings demonstrate that FAX matrices' potential in probiotic tablet formulations, with FA content being critical for optimizing protection. This work provides new insights for developing improved probiotic delivery tablets using naturally derived polymers.