A Review of Development and Utilization for Edible Fungal Polysaccharides: Extraction, Chemical Characteristics, and Bioactivities

Abstract

Edible fungi, commonly known as mushrooms, are precious medicinal and edible homologous gifts from nature to us. Because of their distinctive flavor and exceptional nutritional and medicinal value, they have been a frequent visitor to people’s dining tables and have become a hot star in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Edible fungal polysaccharides (EFPs) are an essential nutrient for edible fungi to exert bioactivity. They have attracted much attention because of their antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic bioactivities. As a result, EFPs have demonstrated outstanding potential over the past few decades in various disciplines, including molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical chemistry. However, the complexity of EFPs and the significant impact of mushroom variety and extraction techniques on their bioactivities prevents a complete investigation of their biological features. Therefore, the authors of this paper thoroughly reviewed the comparison of different extraction methods of EFPs and their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, and glycosidic bond type and backbone structure of EFPs are described in detail. Moreover, the in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of EFPs extracted by different methods and their potential regulatory mechanisms are summarized. These provide a valuable reference for improving the extraction process of EFPs and their production and development in the pharmaceutical field.

The Effect of Green Extraction Technologies on the Chemical Composition of Medicinal Chaga Mushroom Extracts

“…Thus, it is very important to develop the most efficient extraction technique for this compound. The majority of mushroom glucans are water soluble, and many techniques can facilitate and improve its extraction such as ultrasound-, microwave-, enzyme-assisted, and subcritical water extraction [ 44 ]. Our study showed that the content of total glucans in the Chaga extracts was significantly affected by the type of extraction, solvent choice, and temperature.…”

Polysaccharides from Russula: a review on extraction, purification, and bioactivities

“…Specifically, sulfonic acid groups (–SO 3 H) can be incorporated into polysaccharide molecules to replace the hydroxyl group (–OH) after sulfonation ( 97 ). This modification enhances the affinity between the sulfated polysaccharide from Russula virescens and bacterial receptors, improving its recognition and binding ability by altering the spatial structure and conformation of the polysaccharide ( 98 ). Simultaneously, the sulfation modification increased the charge density, solubility, and stability of the sulfated polysaccharide, allowing for improved dispersion and diffusion in the bacterial environment, thus enhancing its ability to inhibit bacterial growth.…”

Characterization of Polysaccharide Extracts of Four Edible Mushrooms and Determination of In Vitro Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibition and Anticancer Activities

“…Especially in the last few decades, mushroom polysaccharides have displayed extraordinary potential in various disciplines, including immunology, molecular biology, pharmaceutical chemistry, and biotechnology. 3,4 The increasing cancer burden worldwide highlights the need for improving current therapeutic strategies. Cancer, which has 36 different types, generally affects men as lung (1.44 million new cases and 1.18 million deaths), prostate (1.42 million new cases and 374,000 deaths), colon (1.07 million new cases with 512,000 deaths), stomach (717,000 new cases and 501,000 deaths), and liver (636,000 new cases with 578,000 deaths) cancers, and women as breast (2.25 million new cases and 682,000 deaths), colon (931,000 new cases with 418,000 deaths), lung (773,000 new cases with 603,000 deaths), cervical (598,000 new cases with 339,000 deaths), and stomach (368,000 new cases with 260,000 deaths) cancers in 2020.…”