Phytochemical Profiling and Bioactivity of Germinated Barley Lipophilic Extract: Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a nutritionally important cereal crop enriched in bioactive compounds. Germination is known to enhance its phytochemical content; however, the role of nonpolar metabolites remains underexplored. In this study, the hexane extract of germinated barley (GBH) was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and evaluated for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. GC–MS profiling tentatively identified 55 compounds representing approximately 85% of the extract, including aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogenous compounds, esters, terpenoids, and alcohols. The major constituents included octanamide N-(2-hydroxyethyl), longipinane and benzene derivatives. Biological evaluation showed moderate antioxidant activity with the IC₅₀ values of 177.18 ±5.24 µg/mL in the DPPH assay and 207.19 ±6.21 µg/mL in the ABTS assay. The extract exhibited antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (24 mm), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (23 mm), and Escherichia coli (19 mm), but showed no inhibitory effect against the fungal strain Candida albicans. These findings suggest that germinated barley extract (GBH) holds promise as a natural source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in food preservation, antimicrobial packaging, and the development of plant-based therapeutic formulations targeting infections associated with oxidative stress.