Harnessing mushroom β-glucans towards enhancing probiotics viability and their bioactivities

Abstract

Mushrooms are widely recognized and consumed for their nutraceutical and medicinal values due to the presence of biologically active compounds particularly beta-glucans, phenolic, flavonoid, proteins and minerals. Betaglucans are complex polysaccharides composed of glucose units linked mainly by β-(1→3) and β-(1→6) glycosidic bonds. Beta-glucans remain major structural components of mushroom cell wall and have gained attention for their prebiotic, immunomodulatory, and gut-health-promoting properties. One important functional role of mushroom β-glucans is their ability to support the viability and activity of probiotic microorganisms especially species of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Bifidobacterium. The paper therefore, review the beneficial roles played by mushroom β -glucans on the viability and biofunctional activities of lactic acid bacteria.