Combination of steam explosion pretreatment and mixture design optimization as a strategy to enhance the antioxidant activity of crude polysaccharides isolated from edible mushrooms

The edible polysaccharides derived from mushrooms are bioactive fibers that possess great health benefits. In particular, the association between the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides and their beneficial health effects has sparked significant interest. There is a focus on exploring novel strategies to enhance the antioxidant activity of mushroom polysaccharides. In this study, the combination of steam explosion pretreatment (an environmental friendly and efficient biomass pretreatment method) and mixture design optimization was used to enhance the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from two edible mushrooms i.e., Agrocybe aegerita (AaP) and Agaricus bisporus (AbP). We found that steam explosion pretreatment increased the yield of AaP and AbP polysaccharides by 2.47 and 1.91 times, respectively. In addition, the steam explosion was found to augment the antioxidant capacity of crude polysaccharides through structural alterations. Moreover, the combination of steam explosion pretreatment and mixture design optimization further augmented the antioxidant activity of two extracted polysaccharides at optimal ratio (AaP: AbP = 1:4) in vitro. In summary, a combination of steam explosion pretreatment and mixture design optimization could be a promising and efficient approach to enhance the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides isolated from multiple types of mushrooms. •Steam explosion pretreatment enhances the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides extracted from mushrooms.•The mixture of extracted polysaccharides at optimal ratio further augments the antioxidant activity in vitro.•Polysaccharides extraction with steam explosion and mixture design optimization may yield enhanced antioxidant activity.