An arabinofuranohydrolase (AXH-d3) was purified from a cell-free extract of Bifidobacterium adolescentis DSM 20083. The enzyme had a molecular mass of approximately 100 kDa as determined by gel filtration. It displayed maximum activity at pH 6 and 30 degrees C. Using an arabinoxylan-derived oligosaccharide containing double-substituted xylopyranosyl residues established that the enzyme specifically released terminal arabinofuranosyl residues linked to C-3 of double-substituted xylopyranosyl residues. In addition, this arabinofuranohydrolase released arabinosyl groups from wheat flour arabinoxylan polymer but showed no activity towards p-nitrophenyl alpha-1-arabinofuranoside or towards sugar-beet arabinan, soy arabinogalactan, arabino-oligosaccharides and arabinogalacto-oligosaccharides.