Research Progress on Fungal Polysaccharides and Their Application in Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermented Products

Fungal polysaccharides are a group of high polymers extracted from the fruiting body, mycelium or fermentation broth of fungi, and are one of the main bioactive substances in edible fungi. They are composed of a variety of monosaccharides and form a complex structure through the connection of chemical bonds, which makes them have a variety of biological activities such as anti-tumor, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. They are often added to foods as prebiotics. In recent years, with the continuous exploration of fungal polysaccharides, rapid progress has been made in the extraction, purification, structure analysis, biological activities and product development of fungal polysaccharides. In this paper, the chemical composition, structure analysis and biological activities of fungal polysaccharides are summarized, and the development status and future prospects of lactic acid bacteria fermented foods incorporated with fungal polysaccharides are discussed, so as to provide reference for functional exploration of fungal polysaccharides and for future research to enrich the variety of lactic acid bacteria fermented products.