Prebiotic potential of mushroom D-glucans: implications of physicochemical properties and structural features

Abstract Mushroom D-glucans are recognized as dietary fibers and as biologically active natural polysaccharides, with the advantages of being quite inexpensive for production, tolerable, and having a range of possible structures and physicochemical properties. The prebiotic potential of mushroom D-glucans has been explored in recent years, but the relationship between their various structural features and activity is poorly understood. This review focuses on comprehensively evaluating the prebiotic potential of mushroom D-glucans in face of their structural variations. Overall, mushroom D-glucans provide a unique set of different structures and physicochemical properties with prebiotic potential, where linkage type and solubility degree seem to be associated with prebiotic activity outcomes. The understanding of the effects of distinct structures and physicochemical properties in mushroom D-glucans on the gut microbiota contributes to the design and selection of new prebiotics in a more predictable way.