Antioxidant, anti-cholinesterase, anti-α-glucosidase and prebiotic properties of beta-glucan extracted from Algerian barley

Beta-glucan, such as barley-derived beta-glucan (BBG), are homopolysaccharides that have attracted attention by their nutritional and therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant power of BBG extracted from local Algerian variety of barley (SAIDA 183), and its acetylcholinesterase, alpha glucosidase inhibitory activity as well as its prebiotic potential by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria isolated from camel’s milk, namely lactococcuslactisssplactis (Lc.l.l) and leuconostocmesenteroidesspmesenteroides (Ln.m.m). The results revealed that BBG exhibited low activity against DPPH and ferric-reducing power (IC50 4018.61 ± 656.69 and A0.5 at 359.88 ±63.64 µg/mL respectively), in contrast to other antioxidant tests (ABTS, Beta-carotene and CUPRAC) where BBG demonstrated a moderate activity (IC50 529.91 ±26.37, IC50 161.013±13.322, A0.5 529.79 ± 48.65 µg/mL). The scavenging ability of hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical by BBG with an IC50 at 2268.38±101.57 µg/mL and IC50 345.26± 62.32 µg/mL, respectively, while enzymatic inhibition by  BBG exhibited for AChE at IC50 859.164 ±64.46 μg/mL , BChE at IC50 at 725.470 ±30.95 , α-Amylase inhibitory activity at IC50 2986.785 ± 37.046  . The bacterial growth of the two strains used in this study is favorably affected by the use of BBG as the only carbon source, in comparison with glucose as a control. In light of these findings, it can be concluded that BBG have shown moderate antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities and can be used as a prebiotic by acting synergistically with probiotics in functional food matrices

A Novel Theoretical Study of Elastic and Electronic Properties of M₂CdC (M = Zr, Hf, and Ta) MAX Phases

In this study, we have investigated the structural, electronic, and elastic properties of the M₂CdC (M = Ta, Zr, and Hf) MAX phases, using the first-principle methods based on the density functional theory. The calculated formation energies revealed that these compounds are thermodynamically stable in the hexagonal MAX phase. The stability is confirmed by the elastic constants and the conditions of mechanical stability criterion. Also, we have determined the bulk and shear modules of the Young modulus and the Poisson coefficient. The band structures indicate that the three materials are electrically conductive. The chemical bond in M₂CdC is covalent-ionic in nature with the presence of metallic character. For the density of states the hybridization peak between M d and C p occurs in the lower energy range. We have found that there is no gap for these materials due to the existence of a maximum peak of DOS around Fermi level