Functionalities of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharides Modified with Gallic Acid

This research aimed to modify polysaccharides extracted from the edible mushroom <i>Tremella fuciformis</i> with gallic acid (GA) and to complex them with zinc ions. The functionalities of the modified <i>Tremella fuciformis</i> polysaccharides (TFPs) were investigated. Regarding antioxidant activity, TFP-GA demonstrated effective scavenging activity against DPPH radicals, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, TFP-GA exhibited superior reducing ability toward Fe³⁺ and enhanced chelating activity toward Fe²⁺ compared to unmodified TFP. Notably, the TFP-GA conjugate outperformed GA in Fe²⁺-chelating activity. In terms of antimicrobial activity, the TFP-GA-Zn complex showed significantly improved antimicrobial effectiveness against <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i> compared to TFP-GA.