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

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. Beta-glucans 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.