The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the transport characteristics, toxicological profiles, and functional physiological impacts of Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides (FVP), both in vitro and in vivo. Caco-2 cell model and murine model were employed to verify the objective in this paper, with a special emphasis on investigating gender-specific differences. The results revealed that FVP could traverse the Caco-2 cell monolayer via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. The acute oral toxicity assessment categorized FVP as minimally toxic. FVP administration led to a reduction in body weight, serum glucose and lipids levels on male and female mice, a mechanism attributed to the decreased gene expressions involved in glucose and lipids transporters in the intestinal tissue of mice. Moreover, FVP supplementation significantly influenced the levels of short-chain fatty acids and altered the abundance of pivotal gut microbiota, notably P. goldsteinii and P. johnsonii in male mice, and B. sartoii in female mice. PICRUSt analysis revealed enhanced functions in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, protein digestion and absorption in the intestine of male mice treated with FVP. Building upon our prior researches that underscored the multifaceted functional properties of FVP, this study further substantiates the functional characteristics of FVP in relation to glucose and lipid metabolism regulations.

In order to study the immunomodulatory effects of peptides derived from edible mushroom, crude protein was extracted from dried powder of Pleurotus eryngii and sequentially hydrolyzed with pepsin and trypsin. The resulting hydrolysate was separated and purified by ultrafiltration with membranes with different molecular mass cutoffs (MMCOs of 3, 5 or 10 kDa), Sephadex G-15 column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects of the products obtained at the end of each step on the proliferation, NO release, phagocytic activity, and mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW264.7 macrophages were assessed. The results showed that among all ultrafiltration fractions, the one with a molecular mass of less than 3 kDa exhibited the highest immunoregulatory activity. After purification by Sephadex G-15 column chromatography and HPLC, fraction Peak 2-2 was obtained, with the highest immunomodulatory activity. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for de novo sequencing of Peak 2-2, resulting in the identification of 51 peptide sequences with a confidence score greater than 99. Finally, molecular docking results confirmed the stable binding of P. eryngii peptides DFPALR and LLGVD to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and molecular dynamics simulation showed that the binding was spontaneous and stable. This study indicated that P. eryngii peptides possessed significant immunomodulatory activity.

Edible mushroom proteins are the promising ones with the advantages of complete essential amino acid profile and multiple functional activities. To reinforce their applications in functional food development, this study comprehensively evaluated the physicochemical and functional properties of protein isolates from 5 mushroom species, i.e., Pleurotus eryngii (PEP), Pleurotus ostreatus (POP), Lentinula edodes (LEP), Flammulina velutipes (FVP) and Hypsizygus marmoreus (HMP). Results showed that PEP, LEP, FVP, POP and HMP exhibited better protein solubility (PS), water holding capacity (WHC), emulsification activity index (EAI), and foaming capacity (FC) than those of soybean protein and pea protein isolates (PPI). PEP (51.95%) and POP (49.15%) had a higher amount of β-sheet structure. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis showed that the seven proteins could be divided into 3 clusters, and WHC, EAI and FC were significantly positively correlated with PS and β-sheet. The least gelation concentration of PEP (16%) and FVP (16%) at pH 6.0 and 7.0 was similar to PPI, and PEP showed better hardness, springiness and rheological properties than other proteins gels. Overall, our study showed that 5 edible mushroom proteins possessed excellent functionalities (except for gelling capacity), which provided novel insights on unexploited sources of mushroom proteins used as protein-based foods in the food industry.

To explore the potential factors of quinoa to control blood sugar, five active components, polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and polysaccharides, were extracted from three kinds of quinoa by using ten different solvents, then in vitro α-glucosidase activity inhibitory experiment these 30 kinds of extracts were determined. Results showed that the total polyphenols from black quinoa had a strong correlation on the inhibition of α-glucosidase (r = 0.91, P < 0.001). Thus, the extraction process of black quinoa crude polyphenols (BQCP) was carried out, and the most efficient extraction conditions were: material-liquid ratio was 1:70 g/mL, ultrasonic temperature was 45 °C, ultrasound time was 30 min, ultrasonic power was 400 W, the optimal extraction amount was 5.148 ± 0.038 mg/g. Moreover, the black quinoa polyphenols (BQP), purified from BQCP, had stronger inhibitory ability on α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 0.59 mg/mL) and α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 2.85 mg/mL) and its inhibition effect was greatly to BQCP. This study demonstrates that BQP can be a good potential source of natural hypoglycemic drugs or functional foods.

Flammulina velutipes (F. velutipes) polysaccharides were modified by ultrasound at the rated power of 150 W and 900 W. The monosaccharide composition, ultraviolet-visible, and Fourier transform infrared spectral characteristics of F. velutipes polysaccharides (FVP) and their ultrasonic modification products (U-FVPs) were determined. The protective effects of FVP and U-FVPs on human gastric mucosal cells GES-1 were confirmed for the first time. The mole ratios of glucose and galactose were decreased and the mole ratio of mannose was increased after ultrasonic modification. Compared with the original FVP and the FVP modified by ultrasound of 150 W (U-FVP1), the FVP modified by ultrasound of 900 W (U-FVP2) could better prevent ethanol-induced damage to GES-1 cells. With increasing ultrasound intensity, the protective effect of FVPs on GES-1 cells was significantly enhanced by more effective prevention of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and more promotion of expression of triglyceride factor 2 (TFF2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) mRNA. The ultrasonic modification might be an effective way to develop novel F. velutipes polysaccharides that could effectively resist the gastric injury caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Auricularia polytricha possesses hypolipidemic effects and decreases lipid accumulation, leading to potential food additives for functional food processing. In this research, we explored the potential effects of A. polytricha noodles on hyperlipidemia and gut microbiota dysbiosis, and elucidated their possible regulatory mechanisms on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD) mice. A. polytricha noodles treatment significantly (< 0.05) reduced body weight gain, hyperlipidemia and liver fat accumulation. Meanwhile, A. polytricha noodles decreased the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared with the HFD group. Furthermore, A. polytricha noodles could enrich the diversity of gut microbiota by decreasing the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes as well as the relative abundance of Deferribacteres and increased the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia, which might contribute to the prevention of hyperlipidemia. This study indicated that A. polytricha noodles could modulate the gut microbiota and prevent hyperlipidemia and liver fat accumulation induced by HFD.