Auricularia mushrooms are known for their bioactive compounds, mostly polysaccharides, which have numerous biological activities, such as antioxidant, antitumor, immunomodulatory, hyperlipidemic, antidiabetic, anticoagulant and hepatoprotective effects. Over the past decades, there has been a consistent focus on the isolation, chemical properties and bioactivities of polysaccharides from Auricularia. This review will cover what is known about Auricularia polysaccharides (AP) especially for several common species, including A. auricula-judae, A. auricula, A. polytricha, and A. cornea var. Li. The isolation and purifications, structural characterizations, chemical modifications, and biological activities of these AP and their derivatives will be discussed, thus to provide a foundation for the further investigation, production, and application of AP as functional foods and therapeutic agents.
Keywords: Auricularia; Jelly ears; Mushrooms; Polysaccharides; Wood ears.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.