Prebiotic properties of polysaccharide extracts from Cordyceps militaris mycelium: Potentials for functional food and drink applications

Despite the known health benefits of polysaccharides (PSs) from Cordyceps militaris mycelium, there is limited understanding of how different extraction methods affect the yield, antioxidant activity, and prebiotic potential of these PSs . This study aims to address this gap by comparing the effects of water (W-PS), acid (A-PS), and alkaline (S-PS) extraction methods on the functional properties of C. militaris PSs. Water extraction yielded the highest PS content (81.35 ± 4.22 mg/g), while acid and alkaline extractions resulted in significantly lower yields. Antioxidant assays showed that all three PS extracts (W-PS, S-PS, A-PS) exhibited (2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) ABTS radical scavenging activity, with IC50 values of 2446.51 ± 24.34 μg/mL, 2474.24 ± 2.78 μg/mL, and 3273.33 ± 18.54 μg/mL, respectively. All PS extracts exhibited selective prebiotic effects on tested probiotics, with Lactiplantibacillus pentosus NH1 showing the highest growth promotion (prebiotic index score was 0.857) when cultured with W-PS. Fermentation of W-PS by probiotics yielded higher levels of propionic and butyric acids compared to S-PS and A-PS, while acetic acid production was relatively consistent across extracts. These results suggest that water-extracted PS from C. militaris mycelium exhibits antioxidant activity comparable to that of common mushroom-derived PSs, while also demonstrating superior prebiotic potential, highlighting its potential application in functional foods and as a novel prebiotic source.