In the present study, subcritical water extraction (SWE) assisted with deep eutectic solvent (DES) is used to extract Lentinus edodes polysaccharides (LEP). In addition, the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide samples was also investigated. Based on a single factor test and response surface test, the optimal extraction factors were a liquid–solid solvent of 40:1 mL/g, extraction temperature of 147.23 °C, water content of 39.76% and extraction time of 17.58 min. Under these extraction conditions, the yield of LEP was 6.26 ± 0.08%. Compared with the SWE and hot water extraction (HWE), it improved by 19.24% and 17.01%, respectively. In addition, the results of monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, FT-IR, UV and SEM confirmed that the extracts had the features of polysaccharides. Interestingly, the polysaccharides obtained with the SWE assisted with the DES procedure showed a higher DPPH scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, which indicated that the polysaccharides with this method had a stronger antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrated that the SWE-assisted DES is a strong method to obtain polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes for food, biopharmaceutical and other industrial production.

In food science, the application of bioactive compounds is promising, but the deficiencies in their solubility, stability, and bioavailability seriously limit their efficacy. Co-delivery can control the release of bioactive substances and achieve synergistic effects to enhance efficacy. For this reason, co-delivery systems have emerged as a novel strategy that has attracted much attention from researchers in recent years. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the unique properties of different bioactive ingredients and systematically describes the latest research progress of co-encapsulation systems such as emulsions, nanoparticles, and liposomes. It also introduces their advanced characterization tools. Meanwhile, the kinetic law of the release of bioactive ingredients in vivo and its molecular mechanism are discussed in depth through experimental data and theoretical analysis. In addition, the potential application value of the co-encapsulation system in the food industry is also introduced in detail. In summary, this study not only provides a solid theoretical foundation and rich reference basis for further research in the field of co-encapsulation, but also provides new ideas and directions to promote the construction and development of rational and efficient co-encapsulation systems, and to promote the innovation and development of functional foods and precision nutrition.

The health effects of bioactive substances in the human body are affected by several factors, including food processing conditions, storage conditions, light and heat, among others. These factors greatly limit the stability and bioavailability of bioactive substances. These problems can be solved by a novel protein-based nanocarrier technology, which has the excellent potential to enhance solubility, bioavailability, and the controlled release of bioactive substances. In addition, plant protein has the advantages of economy, environmental protection, and high nutrition compared to animal protein. In this review, the preparation, characterization, and application of plant protein-based nanocarriers are summarized. The research deficiency and future prospects of plant protein nanocarriers are emphasized.