Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications

<i>Hericium erinaceus</i>, an edible fungus belonging to the family Odontaceae, is predominantly found in Western Europe, North America, and East Asia. In China, it primarily thrives in the mountainous and forested regions in the northeast, north, and southwest. Historically, <i>He...

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Main Authors: Fangzhi Ge, Yan Chen, Binshuo Wang, Wenxin Zhou, Baoxiang Du, Lin Hou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/8/1850
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author Fangzhi Ge
Yan Chen
Binshuo Wang
Wenxin Zhou
Baoxiang Du
Lin Hou
author_facet Fangzhi Ge
Yan Chen
Binshuo Wang
Wenxin Zhou
Baoxiang Du
Lin Hou
author_sort Fangzhi Ge
collection DOAJ
description <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>, an edible fungus belonging to the family Odontaceae, is predominantly found in Western Europe, North America, and East Asia. In China, it primarily thrives in the mountainous and forested regions in the northeast, north, and southwest. Historically, <i>Hericium erinaceus</i> has served as a medicinal and nutritional entity. Its mycelia and fruiting bodies are the products of its vegetative growth stage and reproductive growth stage, respectively. The principal active components are different <i>Hericium erinaceus</i> polysaccharides (HEPs), which are a group of polysaccharides primarily composed of galactose, glucose, and a small amount of mannose and fucose. An extremely small number of HEPs contain fructose, glucuronic acid, xylose, arabinose, and other components. The common extraction method employed is water extraction followed by alcohol precipitation. HEPs exhibit a diverse array of biological activities, including immune enhancement, anti-tumor effects, anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant capabilities, and antiviral functions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the extraction, separation, purification, structural analysis, biological activity, and toxicity assessments of HEPs. Additionally, it discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with scientific research and practical applications in this field.
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spelling doaj-art-3c0ec2c80ccf4db5921426468e10c99d2025-08-20T02:18:15ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-04-01308185010.3390/molecules30081850Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and ApplicationsFangzhi Ge0Yan Chen1Binshuo Wang2Wenxin Zhou3Baoxiang Du4Lin Hou5Marine Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute (Qingdao Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao 266112, ChinaMarine Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute (Qingdao Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao 266112, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, ChinaSchool of Health Sciences, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, ChinaMarine Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute (Qingdao Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao 266112, ChinaMarine Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute (Qingdao Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao 266112, China<i>Hericium erinaceus</i>, an edible fungus belonging to the family Odontaceae, is predominantly found in Western Europe, North America, and East Asia. In China, it primarily thrives in the mountainous and forested regions in the northeast, north, and southwest. Historically, <i>Hericium erinaceus</i> has served as a medicinal and nutritional entity. Its mycelia and fruiting bodies are the products of its vegetative growth stage and reproductive growth stage, respectively. The principal active components are different <i>Hericium erinaceus</i> polysaccharides (HEPs), which are a group of polysaccharides primarily composed of galactose, glucose, and a small amount of mannose and fucose. An extremely small number of HEPs contain fructose, glucuronic acid, xylose, arabinose, and other components. The common extraction method employed is water extraction followed by alcohol precipitation. HEPs exhibit a diverse array of biological activities, including immune enhancement, anti-tumor effects, anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant capabilities, and antiviral functions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the extraction, separation, purification, structural analysis, biological activity, and toxicity assessments of HEPs. Additionally, it discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with scientific research and practical applications in this field.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/8/1850<i>Hericium erinaceus</i> polysaccharidepurificationstructural analysisbiological activitytoxicityapplications
spellingShingle Fangzhi Ge
Yan Chen
Binshuo Wang
Wenxin Zhou
Baoxiang Du
Lin Hou
Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications
Molecules
<i>Hericium erinaceus</i> polysaccharide
purification
structural analysis
biological activity
toxicity
applications
title Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications
title_full Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications
title_fullStr Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications
title_full_unstemmed Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications
title_short Bioactive Polysaccharides from <i>Hericium erinaceus</i>: Extraction, Structure, Bioactivities, and Applications
title_sort bioactive polysaccharides from i hericium erinaceus i extraction structure bioactivities and applications
topic <i>Hericium erinaceus</i> polysaccharide
purification
structural analysis
biological activity
toxicity
applications
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/8/1850
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