Polysaccharides derived from Agrocybe
cylindracea have been demonstrated to exhibit various
bioactivities. However,
studies on their structural characteristics during the growth process
are limited. This study aimed to compare the physicochemical properties
and structural characteristics of alkali-extracted polysaccharides
from A. cylindracea fruiting bodies
(JACP) across four growth stages. Results showed that the extraction
yields and protein levels of JACP declined along with the growth of A. cylindracea, while the contents of neutral sugar
and glucose increased significantly. However, JACP exhibited structural
characteristics similar to those across the four stages. Four polysaccharide
subfractions were isolated from each growth stage, including JACP-Et30,
JACP-Et50, JACP-Et60, and JACP-Et70. JACP-Et30 from the four stages
and JACP-Et50 from the initial three stages were identified as heteroglucans
with β-1,3-d-Glcp and β-1,6-d-Glcp residues as main chains, respectively.
However, other subfractions were considered as β-1,6-d-glucans containing minor glucuronic acid. These subfractions were
predominantly replaced by Glcp residues at the O-3 and O-6 positions. Overall, while JACP
exhibited variable physicochemical properties, its structural characteristics
remained stable during the growth process, offering new insights into
its potential applications in the food and medicinal industries.