For centuries, mushrooms have been used as a component of skincare formulations. Environmental stresses and a modern lifestyle expose the skin to accelerated aging. To slow down this process, natural anti-aging skincare ingredients are being sought. In this review, 52 scientific publications about the effects of chemical compounds extracted from the fruiting bodies of macrofungi on skin cells were selected. The effects of extracts from nine species that are tested for anti-aging effects have been described. According to available literature data, macrofungi contain many polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, polysaccharide peptides, free amino acids, sterols, proteins, glycosides, triterpenes, alkaloids, which can have an anti-aging effect on the skin by acting as antioxidants, photoprotective, skin whitening, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and stabilizing collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels in the skin.

This study proposes an efficient method for monitoring the submerged fermentation process of Tremella fuciformis (T. fuciformis) by integrating electronic nose (e-nose), electronic tongue (e-tongue), and colorimeter sensors using a data fusion strategy. Chemometrics was employed to establish qualitative identification and quantitative prediction models. The Pearson correlation analysis was applied to extract features from the e-nose and tongue sensor arrays. The optimal sensor arrays for monitoring the submerged fermentation process of T. fuciformis were obtained, and four different data fusion methods were developed by incorporating the colorimeter data features. To achieve qualitative identification, the physicochemical data and principal component analysis (PCA) results were utilized to determine three stages of the fermentation process. The fusion signal based on full features proved to be the optimal data fusion method, exhibiting the highest accuracy across different models. Notably, random forest (RF) was shown to be the most accurate pattern recognition method in this paper. For quantitative prediction, partial least squares regression (PLSR) and support vector regression (SVR) were employed to predict the sugar content and dry cell weight during fermentation. The best respective predictive R2 values for reducing sugar, tremella polysaccharide and dry cell weight were found to be 0.965, 0.988, and 0.970. Furthermore, due to its ability to capture nonlinear data relationships, SVR had superior performance in prediction modeling than PLSR. The results demonstrated that the combination of electronic sensor fusion signals and chemometrics provided a promising method for effectively monitoring T. fuciformis fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Because of their diverse biological activities, polysaccharides derived from Tremella fuciformis have received growing attention. This study aimed to investigate the structural characterization of a purified polysaccharide (designated as PTP-3a) derived from T. fuciformis and explore its interaction with gut microbiota in vitro.
RESULTS: The findings revealed that PTP-3a had a molecular weight of 1.22 × 103 kDa and consisted of fucose, glucose, xylose, mannose and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio of 0.271:0.016:0.275:0.400:0.038. The primary linkage types identified in PTP-3a were 1,3-linked-manp, 1,4-linked-xylp and 1,2,3-linked-fucp, with corresponding ratios of 0.215:0.161:0.15. In addition, PTP-3a demonstrated notable thermal stability and exhibited a triple-helical structure. Moreover, following in vitro fermentation for 48 h, PTP-3a was efficiently utilized, resulting in a reduction in carbohydrate levels, the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and pH adjustment. Furthermore, during in vitro fecal microbial fermentation, PTP-3a decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes while increasing the proportions of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, resulting in a significantly reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Additionally, PTP-3a stimulated the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Parabacteroides merdae, Gordonibacter pamelaeae, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum and Parabacteroides distasonis. Importantly, a strong correlation was observed between the production of SCFAs and specific microorganisms.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that PTP-3a has potential as a prebiotic for modulating the gut microbiota. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Freshly harvested Tremella fuciformis contains high water content with an unprotected outer surface and exhibits high respiration rates, which renders it prone to moisture and nutrient loss, leading to decay during storage. Our research utilized ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL) and chitosan as a composite coating preservative on fresh T. fuciformis. The findings revealed that the ε-PL + chitosan composite coating preservative effectively delayed the development of diseases and reduced weight loss during storage compared to the control group. Furthermore, this treatment significantly decreased the respiration rate of T. fuciformis and the activity of respiratory metabolism-related enzymes, such as alternative oxidase (AOX), cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH and G-6-PDH). Additionally, the composite coating preservative also delayed the depletion of ATP and ADP and maintained higher levels of the energy charge while preserving low levels of AMP. It also sustained heightened activities of Mg2+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, and H+-ATPase enzymes. These results demonstrate that utilizing the ε-PL + chitosan composite coating preservative can serve as a sufficiently safe and efficient method for prolonging the shelf life of post-harvest fresh T. fuciformis.

BACKGROUND: Prediabetes is increasing worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of β-glucan derived from oat or barley to lower blood glucose, body weight, and plasma lipid levels. These findings offer a potentially attractive strategy for reducing the risk of diabetes in prediabetic individuals. However, the effects of β-glucan from Tremella fuciformis on glucose metabolism and anthropometric measurements in humans have yet to be studied. We hypothesized that β-glucan from Tremella fuciformis may improve metabolic parameters in subjects with prediabetes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a once-daily beverage containing Tremella fuciformis (snow mushroom) on anthropometric measurements, metabolic biomarkers, and insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese subjects with prediabetes.
METHODS: In this double-blind RCT, 56 participants were randomly assigned to receive either a Tremella fuciformis beverage or placebo daily for 12 weeks. All parameters were assessed at baseline and after the intervention.
RESULTS: After 12 weeks, participants in the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C; 6.03 ± 0.26% at baseline vs. 5.96 ± 0.25% at 12 weeks, p = 0.047, Cohen\'s d = 0.39) and waist circumference (95.2 ± 12.51 cm at baseline vs. 93.46 ± 11.48 cm at 12 weeks, p = 0.022, Cohen\'s d = 0.45). There were no adverse events reported.
CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study demonstrated that Tremella fuciformis beverage consumption may improve HbA1C and waist circumference in overweight/obese prediabetic individuals. Further research, including larger-scale RCTs and mechanistic studies, is needed to confirm these findings and optimize the therapeutic potential of Tremella fuciformis derivatives in managing prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND: Registered in Thai Clinical Trials Registry (14/07/2021, TCTR20210714004).

The structural characteristics and anti-inflammatory activity of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPs) were investigated. The study showed that TFPs were mainly composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, and fucose. TFPs significantly inhibited monosodium urate (MSU)-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 cells, as well as the secretion levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 cytokines. The concentrations of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species in RAW264.7 macrophages were reduced, but superoxide dismutase activity was increased. RNA-Seq technology was applied to explore the mechanisms of TFPs ameliorating MSU-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 macrophages. Results revealed that TFPs significantly reduce MSU-stimulated inflammatory damage in RAW 264.7 cells by inhibiting signaling pathways like the hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway and erythroblastic oncogene B (ErbB) signaling pathway. This study provides a foundation for TFPs to be developed as novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

The brain is one of the most critical organs in the human body, regulating functions such as thinking, memory, learning, and perception. Studies have indicated that fish roe, snow fungus, and yeast may have the potential to modulate cognitive, memory, and emotional functions. However, more relevant clinical research in this area still needs to be conducted. This study explored the cognition-enhancing potential of a formula beverage including fish roe, snow fungus, and yeast. Sixty-four subjects were divided into a placebo group (n = 32) and a formula-drink group (n = 32), who consumed the product for 8 weeks. Cognitive tests were administered and analyzed at weeks 0, 4, and 8. After 4 and 8 weeks, there was a significant increase in the number of memory cards, and the response times among those who consumed the formula beverage were significantly faster than those in the placebo group. The subjects remembered the old items better and were more impressed with similar items based on the week effect. There was a significant increase in the cue effect of happy facial expressions after the subjects consumed the formula beverage for 8 weeks. In addition, there was a significant decrease in anxiety and fatigue, and improved quality of life. This formula beverage is a promising option that could be used to prevent further cognitive decline in adults with subjective cognitive complaints.

Different methods were used to degrade Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFP) and prepare low molecular weight polysaccharides of Tremella fuciformis (TFLP) to improve their bioavailability. It was found that the TFLP prepared by ultrasonic-assisted H2O2-Vc method showed the highest level of antioxidant activity and stress resistance in C. elegans. The structural characteristics, in vivo antioxidant and stress resistance of TFLP-1 were evaluated after isolation and purification of TFLP, it was found that TFLP-1 was an acid polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 75770 Da, which mainly composed of mannose. Meanwhile, it could regulate the antioxidant activity and stress resistance in C. elegans by upregulating the transcription of fat-5, fat-7, acs-2, glp-1, hsf-1, hsp-1, mtl-1, nhr-49, skn-1 and sod-3 mRNA. The improvement effects were closely related to the significant regulation of galactose metabolism, alpha linolenic acid metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis metabolic pathways. These results provided insights into the high value application of Tremella fuciformis in the food industry and the development of antioxidant related functional foods.

In this study, we first reported a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of Tremella fuciformis using Pacbio HiFi sequencing combining Hi-C technology. According to 21.6 Gb PacBio HiFi reads and 18.1 Gb Hi-C valid reads, we drafted a T. fuciformis genome of 27.38 Mb assigned to 10 chromosomes, with the contig N50 of 2.28 Mb, GC content of 56.51 %, BUSCOs completeness of 93.1 % and consensus quality value of 33.7. The following annotation of genomic components predicted 5,171 repeat sequences, 283 RNAs, and 10,150 protein-coding genes. Next, the intracellular proteins at three differential life stages of T. fuciformis (conidium, hyphal and fruiting body) were identified by the shot-gun proteomics. 6,823 canonical proteins (68.1 % of predicted proteome) have been identified with protein FDR cut-off of 0.01, establishing the first proteome draft of predicted protein-coding genes of T. fuciformis. Finally, 24 T. fuciformis polysaccharides (TPS) biosynthesis-related genes in mycelia were identified by comparative transcriptomics and proteomics, which may be more active than in conidium and revealed the TPS biosynthesis process in mycelia. This present study elucidated T. fuciformis genome composition and organization, drafted its associated proteome, and provided a genome-view of TPS biosynthesis, which will be a powerful platform for biological and genetic studies in T. fuciformis.

Tremella fuciformis is an edible and medicinal fungus containing excellent nutritional value. T. fuciformis polysaccharide (TFP) is the important bioactive ingredients of T. fuciformis, which has gained great attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TFP on the stability and flavor of set yogurt. Our results revealed that the addition of 0.1% TFP had a positive effect on improving the stability of set yogurt including the water holding capacity, texture, rheological properties and microstructure at the cold storage period of 1, 7, 14 and 21 days. It is remarkable that the hardness, gumminess and chewiness of the set yogurt were significantly improved by the addition of TFP during the cold storage. Moreover, the set yogurt containing TFP was able to maintain better stability in the three intervals thixotropy test. In particular, the addition of 0.1% TFP had no adverse effects on the flavor of set yogurt, including sourness, sweetness, umami, bitterness, richness and saltiness. These data suggested that TFP can be used as a natural potential stabilizer for the set yogurt.