This study aimed to compare the efficiency of four extraction methods, hot water (HW), hot alkaline (HA), ultrasound-assisted water (UW), and ultrasound-assisted alkaline (UA), for extracting crude β-glucan from Lentinula edodes, focusing on yield, functionality, and antidiabetic potential. The response surface methodology was used to optimize extraction conditions. Among all methods, UW yielded the highest β-glucan content (34.51 ± 0.82 g/100 g dry extract), indicating enhanced extraction efficiency through acoustic cavitation. However, HW demonstrated the most preserved structural integrity, exhibiting superior and consistent swelling power across all tested pH conditions, which indicated an excellent water-holding capacity. The ability of HA to scavenge antioxidants was significantly higher than that of other methods, likely due to the enhanced release of phenolic residues under alkaline conditions. UA showed the most potent inhibition against α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 1.46 mg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 1.21 mg/mL), demonstrating the potential for type 2 diabetes management. These results highlight that while UW is optimal for yield, HW preserves functional integrity, HA enhances antioxidant properties, and UA is promising for enzyme inhibition. The findings provide insights into tailoring extraction strategies for targeted functional or nutraceutical applications.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of crude polysaccharide extraction from Thai-cultivated oats (Avena sativa L.) utilizing hot water extraction (HW) and ultrasound-assisted water extraction (UW) methods. Optimal conditions were determined by a response surface methodology (RSM). The influence of solid-to-liquid ratio, temperature or %amplitude, and extraction time on %yield and beta glucan content was investigated. Under optimal conditions, UW produced a superior %yield (82.72 ± 2.19%) and beta glucan content (1.75 ± 0.87 g/100 g extract) compared to HW (41.32 ± 0.98% and 1.25 ± 0.27 g/100 g extract). This finding may occur from acoustic cavitation, which effectively dismantles the cellular wall structure, supported by FTIR analysis finding more distinct β-glycosidic linkage peaks. SEM analyses indicated a greater surface area dispersion and porosity in UW extract relative to HW extract. Analysis of monosaccharide composition supported the properties of both crude extracts, demonstrating glucose as the predominant component. However, the functional and bioactive characterization demonstrated a distinct trade-off between the two extraction methods. HW extract demonstrated superior swelling capacity (6.2 vs. 2.7 g/g at pH 6.5), enhanced antioxidant activity compared to both ABTS (0.67 ± 0.04 vs. 0.58 ± 0.06 μmol TE/g), DPPH (0.53 ± 0.06 vs. 0.35 ± 0.06 μmol TE/g), and FRAP (0.05 ± 0.02 vs. 0.03 ± 0.01 μmol TE/g), total phenolic content (98.33 ± 7.68 vs. 87.79 ± 3.07 mg GAE/g). The crude extracts from the two methods had selective enzyme inhibitory activity, exhibiting considerable inhibition of α-glucosidase and markedly reduced inhibition of α-amylase. UW demonstrated slightly superior inhibitory activity compared to HW for both enzymes. The findings indicate that the determination of crude polysaccharides should principally take into account the purpose of the final product. UW is preferable for optimizing %yield and beta glucan content. Nevertheless, if the emphasis is on functional attributes like water absorption and antioxidant efficacy, HW has advantages that merit a consideration. This research provides a framework for identifying optimal extraction methods aimed at extracting crude polysaccharides from Thai-cultivated oats for use as a functional ingredient in health food products.

A high-fat diet is associated with metabolic disorder, including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Polysaccharides derived from mushrooms have attracted interest for their potential metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects. Nevertheless, the impact of crude polysaccharides derived from the Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler (PSC) on metabolic conditions linked to high-fat diets remains insufficiently studied. This study aimed to evaluate the bioactivity of PSC obtained using ultrasound-water extraction (UW) on metabolic parameters, hepatic function, and inflammation in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male Wistar rats (5 weeks old, 180–200 g; n = 6 per group) were assigned to normal-diet (ND) or high-fat-diet (HFD) groups, with or without PSC administration. PSC was administered by oral gavage at 400 mg/kg body weight/day for 4 weeks. Compared with the HFD group at week 20, the HFD+PSC group showed 30.44% lower body-weight gain, while LDL-C, AST, ALT, and IL-6 levels were 42.31%, 35.77%, 55.15%, and 41.78% lower. Histopathological examination showed reduced hepatic steatosis and inflammatory alterations following PSC extract administration, with the NAS decreasing from 5.60 ± 0.51 in the HFD group to 2.00 ± 0.32 in the PSC extract administration. The findings indicate that a PSC extract decreased various metabolic, hepatic, and inflammatory changes correlated with HFD. This study supports the potential of PSC extract as a mushrooms-derived functional ingredient to improve metabolic function.