Abstract:Using wheat bran as raw material，the effects of steam explosion（SE）processing on the components and apparent properties were studied.Besides，the effect of SE conditions on the total pentosan content，soluble pentosan content，the ratio of digestible carbohydrate to soluble protein of wheat bran was examined.Results showed an increase in the ash，fat and protein contents.With the increase in SE pressure，the color of wheat bran powder deepened and changed from pale brown to yellow-brown，along with the decrease in L*value and the increase in a*values on the whole.Scanning electron microscopy images showed a strong degree of breakage，suggesting an enhanced peeling.Hemicellulose hydrolysis，lignin softening，and degradation were intensified，resulting in an increased content of soluble substances.The most substantial effect of SE pressure was on the soluble substances content.With the increase in steam pressure，the soluble pentosan content and the ratio of digestible carbohydrates to soluble proteins first increased and then decreased，reaching a peak when the value of steam pressure was approximately 1.5 MPa，and the peak value of soluble pentosan content increased to 1 200% of the control group.The results showed that the SE could effectively increase the soluble substance content of wheat bran，thus improving its function.