A comparison study on compounding oat β-glucan onto Pleurotus eryngii protein by using different methods: In vitro digestion and fermentation characteristics

This study aimed to investigate the effects under four different composite methods (electrostatic self-assembly, ultrasonic cavitation, high-pressure homogenization, and wet glycosylation), oat β-glucan (OG) on the in vitro digestion properties and in vitro fermentation properties of Pleurotus eryngii protein (PEP). The changes in the degree of protein dissociations and structures during digestion, pH and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) during fermentation, and the structures of intestinal flora at the end of fermentation were evaluated. The results showed that during in vitro digestion, the complexes could inhibit the degree of dissociation of PEP. During in vitro fermentation, several complexes enhanced the production of SCFAs and promoted the proliferation of beneficial bacteria compared with PEP and OG. Moreover, the complexes obtained by wet glycosylation showed a better effect in inhibiting the dissociation degree of PEP, increasing the production of SCFAs, and enhancing the abundance of beneficial bacteria. Hence, studying the impacts of different compounding methods on their in vitro digestion and fermentation properties, helps us to prepare functional synthetic ingredients with more probiotic potential. The present study demonstrated the Pleurotus eryngii protein-oat β-glucan, as a complex functional ingredient and beneficial candidate prebiotic agent, can reduce the degree of dissociation, increase short-chain fatty acid production, and promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria compared to single Pleurotus eryngii protein. [Display omitted] •Compounding methods can affect the digestive characteristics of proteins.•Compounding methods can affect the biological activities of proteins.•The compound obtained by wet glycosylation has a better probiotic effect.