Antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of endo-polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus grown on tofu whey

► Chemical and physical characteristics of the polysaccharides were investigated. ► Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of the polysaccharides were investigated. ► The HEP80 showed strong activity on antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities. ► The hepatoprotective effect may be due to its potent antioxidant capacity. Three fractions of the endo-polysaccharides from the mycelium of Hericium erinaceus (HEP) grown on tofu whey were obtained by the fractional precipitation with gradient concentrations of ethanol (HEP40, HEP60 and HEP80). The chemical and physical characteristics of the three crude polysaccharides were investigated by the combination of chemical and instrumental analysis methods. The studies to evaluate the antioxidant potential and the hepatoprotective effects of the three polysaccharides showed that they had different activities in different evaluation system. HEP80 showed strong activity on antioxidant in vitro and potent hepatoprotective effect in vivo and the hepatoprotective effect may be due to its potent antioxidant capacity. The HEP could be exploited as antioxidant product and a supplement in the prevention of hepatic diseases. The study also opens an avenue for the efficient utilization of tofu whey, which is usually discarded in environment, causing concerns.