(1-3)(1-6)-beta-Glucan-enriched materials from Lentinus edodes mushroom as a high-fibre and low-calorie flour substitute for baked foods

BACKGROUND: Extensive physiological and biological emphasis has been placed on pharmaceutical and medicinal uses of mushrooms containing beta-glucans, but their incorporation into processed functional foods is quite limited. Thus, low-grade Lentinus edodes mushrooms were utilised to produce beta-glucan-enriched materials (BGEMs), which were evaluated as a high-fibre and low-calorie substitute for wheat flour. RESULTS: The fractions obtained from Lentinus edodes mushrooms contained 514 g kg(-1) of (1-3)-beta-glucans with (1-6)-beta-linked side chains and the chemical structure was confirmed by (13)C NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. Replacement of a portion of the wheat flour with BGEMs resulted in the solutions with lowe 00000130 r values of pasting parameters and also caused significant changes in starch gelatinisation. When BGEMs were incorporated into cake formulations, batter viscosity increased with more shear-thinning behaviours and elastic properties improved. Overall, the cakes containing more BGEMs showed decreased volu 0000005E me and increased hardness while no significant differences were observed between the control a 00001094 nd BGEM cakes containing 1 g of beta-glucan per serving. CONCLUSION: As a wheat flour substitute, the BGEMs that were prepared from low-grade Lentinus edodes mushrooms, could be successfully used to produce cakes containing 1 g of beta-glucan per serving with quality attributes similar to those of the control. (C) 2011 Society of Chemical Industr