Abstract

Hordeum vulgare husk, a cereal grain, is rich in dietary fiber and prebiotics beneficial for the gut microbiota and host organism. This study investigates the effects of barley husk-derived water-soluble xylan (BH-WSX) on gut homeostasis and the microbiome. We enzymatically extracted BH-WSX and evaluated its prebiotic and antioxidant properties. A 40.0 % (w/v) xylan yield was achieved, with the extracted xylan having a molecular mass of 212.0885 and a xylose to glucuronic acid molar ratio of 6:1. Specialized optical rotation research indicated that the isolated xylan is composed of monomeric sugars such as D-xylose, glucose, and arabinose. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that the xylan comprises β (1 → 4) linked xylose units, randomly substituted with glucose residues, α-arabinofuranose, and acetyl groups. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis showed that the barley husk extract's backbone is substituted with 4-O-methyl glucuronic acid at the O