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The Inhibitory Effects of Hericium erinaceus β-glucan on in vitro Starch Digestion

Summary

This study examined how β-glucan compounds from the Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) can slow down starch digestion in food, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes and may reduce diabetes risk. Researchers tested three different forms of the mushroom compound and found that the larger, more complex ones worked better at slowing starch breakdown. The mushroom compounds reduced the rapid release of glucose by 55% compared to regular wheat starch, suggesting they could be added to bread and other starchy foods to make them healthier.

Background

Hericium erinaceus is an edible mushroom containing bioactive polysaccharides, particularly β-glucans, which have demonstrated health-promoting effects including blood sugar and lipid reduction. Reducing starch digestion rates is considered an efficient approach to prevent diabetes and obesity by slowing postprandial glycemic increases.

Objective

To investigate the inhibitory effects of three different Hericium erinaceus β-glucans (HEBG-1, HEBG-2, HEBG-3) extracted through different methods on in vitro wheat starch digestion and to elucidate the structural mechanisms underlying these effects.

Results

Addition of HEBGs significantly reduced starch digestibility with decreased RDS and pGI values and increased SDS and RS content. HEBG with the highest molecular weight (7.504 × 10⁵ g/mol) showed the strongest inhibitory effect with RDS of 19.34% and pGI of 62.56 compared to control wheat starch. The triple helix structure and higher molecular weight of β-glucans positively correlated with starch digestion inhibition, with β-1,3-glucan showing stronger effects than β-1,6-glucan.

Conclusion

The triple helix structure in Hericium erinaceus β-glucan plays an important role in inhibiting starch digestion, with inhibitory effects correlating positively with molecular weight. This study provides theoretical understanding for applying edible mushroom β-glucan to develop low glycemic index starchy foods and potentially prevent diabetes.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Nutrition,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 33553235, DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2020.621131
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