Isolation of a gastroprotective arabinoxylan from sugarcane bagasse

► A non-acidic arabinoxylan was obtained after hot alkaline extraction from sugarcane bagasse. ► It was precipitated in ethanol, and the crude extract was similar to the ethanol-precipitated fraction. ► The chemical structures were confirmed by 13C NMR and methylation analysis. ► The arabinoxylan presented gastroprotective properties in female Wistar rats. ► Interesting findings for a biologically active compound from an abundant, readily available residue.