Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are prebiotics of significant biological value that can be obtained through cost‐effective purification of agricultural waste. The present research featured in vitro and in vivo investigation of prebiotic effects of xylooligosaccharides derived from wheat bran powder and brewer's spent grain. Prebiotic activity of Lactobacillus. fermentum, Lactobacillus. casei, and Bifidobacterium spp. was investigated in vitro using standard selective media. 16S rRNA quantitative PCR used for in vitro and in vivo investigation quantified relative abundance of Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Akkermansia. muciniphila in samples of fecal matter, cecal content, and intestinal tissue. Research revealed a favorable association between XOS concentration and both bacterial count and diameter of resultant colonies. The standard strain of L. casei showed no noticeable effect on growth rate. Bifidobacterium spp. proliferation in intestinal tissue was validated via in vivo tests using XOS obtained from wheat bran powder and brewer's spent grain. Findings indicated increased prevalence of the A. muciniphila species and the presence of XOS showed a protective function in preserving the structural integrity of intestinal mucus secretions. The presence of XOS in food indicated direct association with proliferation of Bifidobacterium spp. and A. muciniphila spp. Study results suggest that XOS extracted through enzymatic hydrolysis in Mongolian food industry by‐products such as wheat bran products and brewer's spent grain exhibit prebiotic properties that justify XOS manufacture on a large scale and incorporation of XOS as nutritional enhancement in food products and pharmaceuticals.

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are hemicellulose constituents that naturally occur in wheat bran peels and brewery-spent grain. XOS comprises two to six xylose residues connected by β-(1,4) linkages. These compounds are vulnerable to enzymatic breakdown by gut microorganisms. In this study, some industrial by-products, specifically wheat bran peels (WBP) and brewers’ spent grain (BSG), underwent treatment using microwave-facilitated enzymatic hydrolysis. The current study produced 8.1 g of purified dried XOS from 100 g of WBP material and 7.2 g of pure dried XOS from 100 g of BSG material. Singular microwave irradiation of WBP and BSG before enzymatic hydrolysis, along with a precisely determined enzyme-to-raw-material ratio of 0.25 g/100 g, resulted in optimal conditions. This approach significantly enhanced the efficacy of xylanases on both WBP and BSG. Results of our study proved that microwave assisted pretreatment improves the xylanase enzymatic hydrolysis which increase yield of XOS.

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity is an important public health concern that may be linked to early cardiovascular alterations. Electrocardiography (ECG) is a simple, non-invasive method for detecting cardiac abnormalities, but evidence on the association between body mass index (BMI) and ECG abnormalities in school-aged children remains limited. We aimed to determine the prevalence of ECG abnormalities and their association with BMI category among Mongolian school-entry children. Methods: We conducted a nationwide, school-based cross-sectional study using data from Mongolia’s school-entry health screening program (2024–2025). Of 70,214 children screened, 60,847 had sufficient anthropometric data for BMI classification, of whom 57,401 also had valid ECG outcome data and formed the final analytic sample. Children were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese using WHO age- and sex-specific BMI-for-age percentiles. Overall ECG abnormality and six specific findings were assessed. Associations with BMI category were evaluated using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression adjusted for sex and grade level, with obesity as the reference category. Holm–Bonferroni correction was applied across the six secondary outcomes. Results: Among 57,401 children, 22.2% had at least one ECG abnormality, with similar prevalence across BMI categories (21.6–22.4%; χ2 = 2.548, p = 0.467). Electrical axis abnormality was the most common specific finding (15.5%). BMI category showed weak overall evidence of association with overall ECG abnormality (global Wald χ2 = 7.91, p = 0.048), but no individual category differed significantly from obesity. Electrical axis abnormality showed a nominal overall association with BMI category (p = 0.017), but this did not remain significant after Holm correction (Holm-adjusted p = 0.102). No other specific ECG abnormality was associated with BMI category (all Holm-adjusted p ≥ 0.335). Conclusions: ECG abnormalities were common among Mongolian school-entry children, but BMI category showed no robust association with them once multiple testing was accounted for. These findings do not support BMI alone as a predictor of ECG abnormality at school-entry age.

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are components of hemicellulose and can be found in wheat bran, and barley hulls. Structurally, XOS consist of two to six xylose residues linked by β-(1,4) bonds. This makes them susceptible to subsequent treatment by intestinal bacteria, but the concentration of XOS is too low to show any prebiotic effects. Some industrial wastes, including brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and wheat bran peels (WBP), represent a major source of xylan, from which XOS is produced to provide a prebiotic effect in populations of colonic commensal microbiota. WBPs and BSGs were treated by microwave and enzymatic hydrolysis. Using the designed microwave pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis, 5.4 g of dry XOS was produced from 50 g WBP powder and 3.6 g dry XOS was produced from 50 g BSG powder. A single microwave treatment on WBP and BSG before enzymatic hydrolysis and 0.25 g/100 g enzyme raw material ratio were determined to be optimal. Effective microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis of WBP and BSG were investigated, and contribute to improving the effectiveness of xylanase on WBP and BSG. Microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis with xylanase and purification, obtaining food-grade XOS, was demonstrated as a step toward industrial-scale production.