Preparation, Structural Characterization, and In Vitro Modulation of the Gut Microbiota Activity of a Novel α-Glucan in Hericium erinaceus

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c00177
• Publication Date: 2025-03-25T20:47:52Z
• Authors: Shuang Chen; Liping Liu; Jie Feng; Jingsong Zhang; Jie Geng; Jinyan Wang; Yan Yang; Di Wu; Yanfang Liu; Qingbin Guo
• Keywords: Hericium erinaceus; Erinaceus

Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus) is a kind of medicinal and edible fungus that contains polysaccharide as the most studied effective component at present. In this paper, novel α-glucan was successfully isolated from H. fruiting bodies by hot water extraction combined with fractional ethanol precipitation method. To analyze monosaccharide composition, methylation nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed, identified having α-(1→4)-glycosidic bonds single unit α-D-Glcp branch attached O-6 position (Mw, 1.43 × 107 g/mol, branching ratio 9:1). Furthermore, aqueous solution analysis demonstrated adopts rigid spherical conformation. The exhibited resistance to simulated gastrointestinal digestion but effectively degraded gut microbiota (GM), leading significant changes in total content, reducing sugar, pH value. Notably, beneficial increase contents acetic propionic acids metabolites, stimulated growth bacteria (Lactobacillus Bifidobacterium), inhibited proliferation harmful (Fusobacterium). Overall, study deepened regulatory effects different ratios main chains on GM, which provides theoretical support for developing GM-targeted foods.