How Digesting Shiitake Mushroom Fiber Helps Protect Your Gut Health

Jenn Hoskins
23rd August, 2024

How Digesting Shiitake Mushroom Fiber Helps Protect Your Gut Health

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Zhejiang University investigated LePS40, a polysaccharide from Shiitake mushrooms, and its effects on gut health
  • LePS40 is resistant to digestive enzymes and gastric acid but is highly fermentable by gut bacteria, producing beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
  • The fermentation of LePS40 increases beneficial gut bacteria and reduces harmful bacteria, enhancing gut barrier function and protecting against inflammation
Lentinula edodes, commonly known as Shiitake mushroom, is rich in polysaccharides that offer various health benefits. A recent study from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Zhejiang University[1] investigated the fermentation of a glucan-rich polysaccharide, LePS40, derived from Shiitake mushrooms, and its effects on gut barrier function. The study aimed to understand how LePS40 interacts with gut bacteria and its potential health benefits. LePS40 is composed of a β-(1→3)-glucan main chain with side chains mainly made up of (1 → 6)-linked β-Glcp residues, (1 → 6)-linked α-Galp residues, and terminal residues of β-Glcp. The study found that LePS40 is resistant to digestive enzymes and gastric acid in simulated human gastrointestinal conditions but is highly fermentable during in vitro human fecal fermentation. This fermentation selectively breaks down the glucoside linkages, significantly reducing the glucose molar ratio from 12.68 to 1.07. The fermentation of LePS40 resulted in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyric and propionic acids, which were higher compared to the prebiotic reference FOS (fructooligosaccharides). Conversely, the level of acetic acid was lower. SCFAs are known to have various health benefits, including improved metabolic regulation and reduced cardiovascular disease risk[2]. The increased production of butyric and propionic acids suggests that LePS40 may play a significant role in enhancing gut health. Moreover, LePS40 was found to enhance the abundance of beneficial bacterial populations while reducing the number of bacteria associated with fatty liver disease and colorectal cancer. This aligns with previous findings that plant polysaccharides like Chinese yam polysaccharide (CYP) can promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and increase SCFA production[3]. The study also revealed that the fecal fermentation products of LePS40 exhibited protective effects on intestinal barrier function against inflammatory damage in a Caco-2/Raw264.7 co-culture model. This is significant because a strong gut barrier is crucial for preventing inflammation and maintaining overall gut health. Previous research has shown that β-glucan, a component of grain cell walls, is utilized by gut microbiota to produce SCFAs, which concurrently increase beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and decrease harmful bacteria like Escherichia-Shigella[4]. The current study expands on these findings by demonstrating that LePS40, a specific β-glucan from Shiitake mushrooms, can similarly modulate gut microbiota and enhance gut health. In summary, the study by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Zhejiang University provides compelling evidence that the glucan-rich polysaccharide LePS40 from Shiitake mushrooms can improve gut health through its fermentation by gut bacteria. The production of beneficial SCFAs and the enhancement of beneficial bacterial populations highlight the potential of LePS40 as a functional food ingredient for promoting gut health and protecting against inflammatory gut conditions.

HealthBiochemMycology

References

Main Study

1) Simulated human digestion and fermentation of a high-molecular weight polysaccharide from Lentinula edodes mushroom and protective effects on intestinal barrier.

Published 1st November, 2024 (future Journal edition)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122478

Related Studies

2) Role of Gut Microbiota-Generated Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Health.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-018-0248-8

3) Gut microbial fermentation promotes the intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of Chinese yam polysaccharides.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134003

4) Systematic assessment of oat β-glucan catabolism during in vitro digestion and fermentation.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129116


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