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A Review of Novel Antioxidant Ergothioneine: Biosynthesis Pathways, Production, Function and Food Applications

Summary

Ergothioneine is a powerful natural antioxidant found mainly in mushrooms that protects cells from damage and may help prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Currently, producing ergothioneine from mushrooms is expensive and slow, but scientists have developed faster fermentation methods using engineered microbes that could make it cheaper and more available. This compound can be added to foods and supplements to boost health benefits, and researchers are exploring its use beyond seafood to other food products like meat and baked goods.

Background

Ergothioneine (EGT) is a natural thiol compound with potent antioxidant properties found primarily in fungi and bacteria. Current production methods rely heavily on mushroom-based liquid fermentation, which suffers from low yields and complex extraction processes. The market for EGT was valued at approximately $397.12 million in 2023 with projected growth to $893 million by 2029.

Objective

This review examines recent advances in ergothioneine biosynthesis pathways, production methods, and functional applications in food systems. The authors synthesize current knowledge on aerobic and anaerobic biosynthetic routes and evaluate EGT’s potential as a natural ingredient for health and industrial applications.

Results

Recent biosynthetic approaches using engineered microbial hosts achieved yields of up to 4.34 g/L using Trichoderma reesei in fed-batch fermentation. Key findings include streamlined pathways using enzymes like MsEgtB reducing synthesis from five to three steps, and identification of ergothioneine’s transport mechanism via OCTN1 protein enabling tissue distribution.

Conclusion

Biosynthetic fermentation offers promising alternatives to traditional mushroom extraction with superior yield and efficiency. EGT demonstrates multiple biological functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective effects, supporting its expansion beyond current applications in aquatic products to broader food industry uses.
  • Published in:Foods,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.3390/foods14091588, PMID: 40361673
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