Structural characteristics and rheological properties of high viscous glucan from fruit body of Dictyophora rubrovolvata

Glucans with high-viscosity have huge potential applications in biosynthesis and biomedical materials. At present study, a novel high-viscosity polysaccharide from fruit body of Dictyophora rubrovolvata (DRP) was characterized by FT-IR, methylation combined with GC-MS, 1H and 13C NMR. It mainly consisted of glucose, and contained main sugar residues including →4)-α-Glcp-(1→, →3,6)-β-Glcp-(1→, →3)-β-Glcp-(1→ and α/β-Glcp-(1 → . The intrinsic viscosity [η] of DRP in aqueous solution was calculated to be 1350.0 mL/g. X-ray diffraction revealed DRP was a semi-crystalline polymer, possessing orderly crystal alignment. Micro-spherical shapes and fibrous filaments were visualized by SEM observation. Moreover, rheological techniques further indicated that DRP was typical pseudoplastic fluid with high viscosity and weak-gel performance, exhibiting excellent heat resistance, strong gel stability and gelling property. The gelation and thixotropy were induced by changing concentration or adding salts. These results lay the groundwork for potential utilization of DRP as polysaccharide-based hydrogel material, food stabilizer and thickener with the resistance to deformation and high-viscosity in food production. [Display omitted] •A novel high-viscosity water-soluble polysaccharide was extracted from fruit body of Dictyophora rubrovolvata.•DRP mainly consisted of glucose as monosaccharide units, and contained six main sugar residues.•DRP exhibited excellent heat resistance, strong gel stability and gelling property.