Effects of different superfine grinding pretreatments on the physicochemical and biological properties of Poria cocos powder and its polysaccharide

Abstract

In this study, Poria cocos (P. cocos) powders were produced utilizing different superfine grinding techniques, specifically jet milling (JM), and high-pressure microfluidization (HPM). Alkali-soluble polysaccharides (ASP) were subsequently extracted from the pretreated P. cocos powders, designated as JM-ASP and HPM-ASP, respectively. This study aimed to examine the effects of JM and HPM pretreatments on the particle characteristics of P. cocos powders and physicochemical properties, prebiotic, and sleep-promoting activities of ASPs. Results revealed that the different superfine grinding methods significantly influenced the characteristics of the P. cocos powders and polysaccharides. The powders processed by JM exhibited a smaller particle size (31.60 μm) and a higher brightness value (L^* = 85.15). In comparison, the HPM-treated powders exhibited superior water-holding, oil-holding, and swelling capacities, and displayed a more porous structure with prominent wrinkling, relative to those treated with JM. The ASPs obtained by different pretreatments possessed similar functional group structures, with over 97% composed of glucose. Furthermore, in comparison to JM-ASP, the extraction yield and total carbohydrate content of HPM-ASP increased by 13.19% and 3.65%, respectively. HPM-ASP displayed a significantly lower intrinsic viscosity (142.95 cm³·g⁻¹) and crystallinity index (8.23%) relative to JM-ASP, which exhibited values of 156.05 cm³·g⁻¹ and 14.86%, respectively. Besides, HPM-ASP displayed enhanced biological activities, including in vitro prebiotic effects and in vivo sleep-promoting properties. These results provide a theoretical basis for the development of P. cocos-based food products and support the application of alkali-soluble polysaccharides in the functional food industry.

Keywords

Poria cocos powder / Alkali-soluble polysaccharide / Jet milling / High-pressure microfluidization / Physicochemical properties / Biological properties

Author contributions

The authors confirm their contributions to the paper as follows: project administration, conceptualization: Jia X; data curation, formal analysis: Li J; writing - review and editing: Yin L, Jia X; funding acquisition: Jia X; validation, visualization: Li J; writing - original draft: Li J; resources: Liao Y, Xiang H, Phimolsiripol Y; supervision: Liao Y, Xiang H, Phimolsiripol Y, Yin L, Jia X. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Acknowledgments

This work is financially supported by Nestlé R&D (China) Ltd (202204810610659).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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