Characterization of β-glucan from oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonari̇us) and its application in model food

Mushrooms are known as β-glucan sources. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize and purify β-glucan by alkaline extraction from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius). in order to evaluate its molecular weight and viscosity. The ideal extraction process parameters were found as 80°C, 90 minutes, and 30% KOH. FT-IR analysis, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, were used for chemical characterization and extracted β-glucan was found to be a β-(1-3) glucose polymer with β-(1-6) side chains.The molecular weight (Mw) was determined as 349.260 g/mol. Rheological measurements showed that β-glucan has low apparent viscosity in aqueous solutions. No microbial action was determined by testing the antibacterial activity of β-glucan against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, and Enterococcus hirae ATCC 10541 using the disc diffusion technique. Lastly, β-glucan was added to the cracker recipe, and the finished product's sensory and physical characteristics as well as its estimated glycemic index were assessed. The glycemic index of β-glucan crackers ranged from 88.07 to 67.32, whereas the glycemic index of glucose was 100. The findings of the sensory study led to the conclusion that crackers supplemented with β-glucan and having functional qualities may satisfy consumer expectations.