Comparative analysis of β-glucan content in single and multi-species medicinal mushroom powders with potential nutraceutical applications

Medicinal mushrooms are widely recognized for their bioactive compounds, particularly β-glucans, which are associated with immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. In recent years, blends of medicinal mushroom powders have attracted increasing attention due to their potential synergistic effects resulting from the combination of multiple fungal species and their diverse metabolite profiles. The present study evaluated the total glucan, α-glucan, and β-glucan content of four medicinal mushroom powders (Ganoderma lucidum, Inonotus obliquus, Hericium erinaceus, and Pleurotus eryngii) as well as four multi-species mixtures formulated from these fungi. Glucan quantification was performed using the validated enzymatic β-Glucan Assay, based on complete hydrolysis and enzymatic determination of released glucose. The results demonstrated a clear predominance of β-glucans over αglucans in all samples analyzed. Pleurotus eryngii exhibited the highest β-glucan concentration among single-species powders (47.63% dry weight), while Inonotus obliquus showed the lowest value (8.99% dry weight). Multi-species blends displayed elevated β-glucan concentrations ranging from 42.73% to 47.42%, confirming the contribution of high-glucan species within the formulations. The low proportion of α-glucans in all samples suggests minimal contamination with reserve polysaccharides such as starches and dextrin. Overall, the findings provide compositional evidence supporting the selection and standardization of medicinal mushroom powders and blends as ingredients for future nutraceutical and functional food formulations, particularly those intended to support immune health.