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Review

Mushroom as a potential source of prebiotics: a review

F.M.N.A. Aidaa, M. Shuhaimia,*, M. Yazidb and A.G. Maarufc
Department of Microbiology, Faculty Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia (Tel.: D603 8941 6541; fax: D603 8941 2624; e-mail: shuhaimi@biotech.upm.edu.my) b Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia c School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
The demand from health conscious consumers has lead to emergence of various functional foods. Trend in food science and technology has shown development of prebiotic, which is able to modulate the human gut microbiota and improve the host health in return. The concept has been introduced for more than a decade with inulin and oligosaccharides being the most established and studied prebiotics. Better understanding on the benets of prebiotics has urged a need for invention of new sources of prebiotics. This paper reviewed the potential of mushrooms as a source of prebiotic with thorough explanation on its concept and application.
a

There are at least 12, 000 species of fungi that can be considered as mushrooms, with at least 2000 species are edible (Chang, 1999). According to Sanchez (2004) over 200 species have been collected from the wild and used for various traditional medical purposes, mostly in Far East. About 35 species have been cultivated commercially and 20 are cultivated on an industrial scale. The most cultivated mushroom worldwide is A. bisporus (button mushroom), followed by Lentinus edodes (shiitake), Pleurotus spp (oyster mushrooms), Auricula auricula (wood ear mushroom), Flamulina velutipes (winter mushroom) and Volvariella volvacea (straw mushroom). Table 1 summarizes worldwide production of mushroom as updated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2009). China was found to be the biggest producers for mushrooms, as they produced more than 1.5 million metric tons in the year 2007. This showed an increment of about 65% in 10 years times. This was followed by United States and Canada. Israel and India showed drastic increased in the number of metric tons produced in 10 years, while Singapore and Kazakhstan can be regarded as new beginners as they are producing the least mushrooms since 1997. Production of mushrooms seems to continuously increase over time. This might due to high consumer demand and increase in consumer awareness on the health benets of mushrooms. Thus, this review will emphasize on the scientically proven health benets of mushrooms, recent trend on functional foods and the potential of mushroom as a prebiotic as well as the concept of prebiotic. Health benets of mushrooms Mushrooms have been used not only as a source of food but medicinal resource as well (Wasser, 2002). The medicinal properties of mushrooms have been conrmed through an intensive research conducted worldwide. According to Chang (2001), medicinal mushrooms have been used as a dietary supplement or medicinal food in China for over 2000 years. The extractable ingredients of mushrooms were incorporated in products and were claimed to improve biological function of human body. It had received great attention since the late 1980s. According to Mahajna, Dotan, Zaidman, Petroza, and Wasser (2009), fungi from the Basidiomycota received great interest because it contains large number of biologically active compounds such as polysaccharides,

Introduction Mushroom growing has a long tradition in Eastern Asian countries, especially in China, where it started around 600 A.D. with Auricularia auricular or also known as Wood Ear. In Europe, cultivation of Agaricus bisporus, the button mushroom, was rst achieved in France during the seventeenth century (Kues & Liu, 2000).
* Corresponding author.
0924-2244/$ - see front matter 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2009.07.007

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Table 1. Worldwide production of mushroom. Country China United States Canada India Indonesia Republic of Korea Islamic Republic of Iran Vietnam Thailand Israel Jordan Kazakhstan Singapore Production (tonnes) 1997 562,194* 366,810 68,020 9000* 19,000* 13,181 10,000* 10,000* 9000* 1260 500 e e 2007 1,605,000 390,000 81,500 48,000 30,000 28,500 28,000 18,000 10,000 9500 700 500 10 65.0* 5.9* 16.5* 81.3* 36.7* 53.8* 64.3 44.4* 10* 86.7* 28.6* 100* 100* Percentage (%)

* FAO estimate. Source: FAO, 2009.

glycoproteins, triterpenes and antibiotics (Wasser, 2002). However, among all bioactive compounds, polysaccharide has been extensively studied. Several glycans have been isolated from the fruit bodies, spores and the mycelium of Reishi or Mannentake (Ganoderma lucidum) (Bao, Duan, Fang, & Fang, 2001; Bao, Liu, Fang, & Li, 2001; Liu, Yuan, Chung, & Chen, 2002). Previous studies suggested that these polysaccharides had immunomodulating properties, including the enhancement of lymphocyte proliferation and antibody production (Bao, Liu, et al., 2001) as well as producing both anti-genotoxic and antitumor promoting activities (Kim, Kacew, & Lee, 1999; Sone, Okuda, Wada, Kishida, & Misaki, 1985; Wasser, 2002). Antitumor activity of mushroom polysaccharides (sclerotia of Pleurotus tuber-regium) against human hepatic cancer cell has been observed by Tao, Zhang, and Cheung (2006). Other than that, polysaccharides isolated from the fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus have also been proven to exert antitumor activity against Hela tumor cell (Tong et al., 2009). The sporoderm-broken germinating spores (SBGS) of Reishi were also found to show a signicant antitumor effect, especially in the prevention of the recrudescence or metastasis of cancerous cells. It mitigates the toxic and side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in some patients (Bao, Liu, et al., 2001). These polysaccharides are of different chemical composition, with most belonging to the group of b-glucans. In order to exhibit their antitumor activity, the main chain of the glucan have to be b-(1 / 3) linkages with additional b(1 / 6) branch points (Wasser, 2002). The antitumor activities of Reishi polysaccharides were exhibited mainly by the branched (1 / 3)-b-d-glucan moiety (Sone et al., 1985; Yoshioka, Tabeta, Saito, Uehara, & Fukuoka, 1985). However, the antitumor activities also depend on several factorssolubility in water, size of the molecules, branching rate and its form. The antitumor activity of polysaccharides and their clinical quality can be improved by chemical

modication such as Smith degradation (oxydo-reducto-hydrolysis), formolysis and carboxymethylation (Wasser, 2002). In other study, the crude extracts of Reishi exhibited anticancer activity in in vitro systems against a variety of cancer cells including leukemia, lymphoma, breast, human bladder (Lu et al., 2004), prostate, liver, lung and myeloma cell lines. The mechanism of action include the inhibition of proliferation, induction of apoptosis, induction of cell cycle arrest, inhibition of invasive behavior and suppression of tumor angiogenesis in many experimental systems including prostate cancer (Mahajna et al., 2009). Daba and Ezeronye (2003) had reviewed the anticancer effect of polysaccharides isolated from various higher basidiomycetes mushrooms including Lentinus edodes, Schizophyllum commune and Grifola frondosa. Their review also covered the mode of action of those polysaccharides, the chemical structure as well as some result obtained from the experimental and clinical trails. Latest nding by Hearst et al. (2009) had revealed another benet of mushrooms. Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and Oyster (P. ostreatus) mushrooms were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal properties. Surprisingly, shiitake extract was found to be effectives as an antimicrobial substance and was signicantly more antibacterial than ciprooxacin. Mushrooms extracts were also reported to exhibit antioxidant properties. Study done by Tsai et al., (2009) has discovered antioxidant properties of P. ostreatus, Pleurotus ferulae and Clitocybe maxima. While Bao, Ushio, and Ohshima (2008) discovered antioxidant properties from Flammulina velutipes. Antioxidant properties of oyster mushrooms (P. ostreatus) were also being studied by Jayakumar, Thomas, and Geraldine (2009). At a maximum concentration of 10 mg/ml, the ethanolic extract of oyster mushroom showed signicant reducing power as compared to commercial antioxidant, the butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT). This indicates the potential of mushrooms to become a food supplement or even as a pharmaceutical agent. Besides its antibacterial, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, extract of mushrooms are also potential color stabilizer. Ergothioneine extracted from F. velutipes was able to overcome browning of ground beef and big eye tuna meats (Thunnus obesus) up to 12 and 7 days of storage, respectively. This duration was double and triple to a duration of a controlled storage meats (6 days for ground beef and 2 days for big eye tuna meat), which was not incorporated with the extract (Bao et.al., 2008). Other than its medicinal properties, consumption of edible mushrooms also leads to a signicant health improvement. This is because they are low in calories, sodium, fat and cholesterol, while contain high percentage of protein, carbohydrate, ber, vitamins and minerals. These nutritional properties make mushrooms a very good dietary food, which can contribute to the formulation of a well-balanced diet (Manzi, Gambelli, Marconi, Vivanti, & Pizzoferrato, 1999).

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This has urged an effort from a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg, School of Public Health in Baltimore to investigate the efciency of mushrooms substituting food in controlling weight gain. Their study has shown that substituting ground white button mushrooms for lean ground beef in a single meal for four consecutive days signicantly reduced daily energy and fat intake, without affecting the palatability, appetite, satiation and satiety. One can reduce 1 lb of body fat by just having less than 10 meals. If this substitution constantly made once a week, about 20, 000 kcal or more than 5 lbs can be reduced in a year (Cheskin et al., 2008). Current trends on functional foods In recent years, much attention has been paid to physiological functions of foods due to increasing concerns for health (Arihara, 2006). People have turned to natural food sources such as plants and herbs for these enhancers, rather than articial substances. Increases in consumer demand have resulted in emerging of various health promoting products in the market. They are called dietary supplements, designers foods, super food, nutraceutical as well as functional foods. These terms are actually referred to foods that have special benecial effects on the human (Childs & Poryzees, 1997). There are actually hundreds of denition describing the concept of functional foods. Unfortunately, great variations between various denitions make it difcult to provide industry partners with robust information on market trends and market potential, or to appropriately protect consumers through legislation. These have initiated Doyon and Labrecque (2008) together with a group of experts from North America and Europe to redene the denition of functional foods by using the Delphi technique. Functional food is now dened as food that is, or appears similar to a conventional food. It must be a part of standard diet, which is consumed on regular basis and in normal quantities. Other than that, it should also been proven to reduce the risk of specic chronic diseases or benecially affect target functions beyond its basic nutritional functions. This showed that consumers are more aware on what they eat and drink as they have become more proactive in improving their health. There are a lot of products containing functional ingredients in the marketdinfant milk formulae, bakery products, chocolate, dairy products and health drinks. Prebiotics are among those functional food ingredients which raise much attention recently (Blades, 2000; Roberfroid, 2002; Roberfroid, 2000). A concept of prebiotic Prebiotic oligosaccharides have gain interest in food research area since the last few decades and they are getting more and more attention recently. Prebiotics such as oligosaccharides and inulin have become a great interest as a functional food ingredient because it is able to manipulate the composition of colonic microbiota in human gut by

inhibition of exogenous pathogens (Rycroft, Jones, Gibson, & Rastall, 2001), thus improving the host health (Roberfroid, 2000; Roberfroid, 2002). The term prebiotic was actually introduced by Gibson and Roberfroid (1995), who exchanged pro to pre, which means before or for (Schrezenmeir & Michael, 2001). They dened prebiotics as a non-digestible food ingredient that benecially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon. They found that the definition of prebiotics is more or less overlaps with the denition of dietary ber, except for its selectivity for certain species. Cummings, Macfarlane, and Englyst (2001) on the other hand had classied prebiotics as those carbohydrates with relatively short chain length. This denition was being updated by Gibson, Probert, Rastall, and Roberfroid (2004) as selectively fermented ingredients that allow specic changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microbiota that confers benets upon host well-being and health. Gibson (2004) recognized dietary carbohydrate such as bers as a candidate prebiotics, but oligosaccharide was found to be more promising. Currently available prebiotics such as inulin and its derivatives as well as galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are relatively cheap to manufacture and has been widely used as a functional ingredient in food (Macfarlane, Macfarlane, & Cumming, 2006). Examples of some prebiotics and their properties are shown in Table 2. Ingestion of prebiotic was believed to enhance immune function, improve colonic integrity, decrease incidence and duration of intestinal infections, down-regulated allergic response as well as improve digestion and elimination of faeces (Douglas & Sanders, 2008). However, these effects were not the direct consequences upon prebiotic ingestion. Wang (2009) suggested that the effect of prebiotics was actually indirect, because it is the changes in the gastrointestinal microbiota compositions (bidobacterias, lactobacilli, as well as the histolyticum subgroup; bacteroides and clostridia) that give rise to the prebiotics effect. Bidobacteria and lactobacilli are the benecial bacteria that serve as prebiotics target (Macfarlane, Steed, & Macfarlane, 2008). A positive effect of prebiotic reects signicant increase in numbers of bidobacteria and lactobacilli, while retarding the development of histolyticum subgroup (Palframan, Gibson, & Rastall, 2003). Probert and Gibson (2002), Langlands, Hopskin, Coleman, and Cummings (2004) as well as Macfarlane et al. (2006) are among those who reported the increases in number of bidobacteria and lactobacilli in the gut, as a result of prebiotic action. Gibson, Beatty, Wang, and Cumming (1995) found that bidobacteria was able to stimulate the immune system, produce vitamin B, inhibit pathogen growth, reduce blood ammonia and blood cholesterol levels as well as help to restore the normal ora after antibiotic therapy, while the lactobacilli aid digestion of lactose in lactose-intolerant individuals, reduce constipation and infantile

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Coppa, Bruni, Zampini, Galeazzi, & Gabrielli, 2002; Franck, 2002; Roberfroid, 2002; Roberfroid, 2005 LHomme, Arbelot, Puiserver, & Biagini, 2003; Losada & Olleros, 2002 Alander et.al., 2001; Ziegler et.al, 2007 Crittendan & Playne, 1996; Hayakawa et.al., 1990; Jaskari, 1998 Crittendan & Playne, 2002; Yamada, 1993 Macfarlane et al., 2006

diarrhea, help resist infections such as salmonellae and help to relieve irritable bowel syndrome (Manning & Gibson, 2004).
Kaneko, Yokoyama, & Suzuki, 1995; Kohmoto, Fukui, Takaku, & Mitsuoka, 1991

Mushrooms as a potential source of prebiotics Recent developments in prebiotics have heightened the need to search for another potential source of prebiotics. Mushrooms seem to be a potential candidate for prebiotics as it contains carbohydrates like chitin, hemicellulose, band a-glucans, mannans, xylans and galactans (Table 3 simplied ndings on the composition of carbohydrate in mushrooms). Chitin e a water insoluble polysaccharides e accounting up to 80e90% of dry matter in mushroom cell wall, with the N-containing chitin as one of the skeletal fungal polysaccharides that responsible for the rigidity and shape of the wall. Chitin only presents in some taxonomical group of Zygo-, Asco-, Basidio- and Deuteromycetes and does not present in other group like Oomycetes (Vetter, 2007). Manzi, Marconi, Aguzzi, and Pizzoferrato (2004) studied the chitin content in eight samples of Boletus spp. mixtures and found that it ranges from 68 to102 mg/g of dry matter. Chitin molecules were indigestible for human and plays role as a dietary ber (Bauer-Petrovska, Jordanoski, & Kulevanova, 2001; Kalac, 2009 and Cheung, 1996). The bioactivities of water insoluble polysaccharides was however less as compared to water soluble polysaccharides (Tao et al., 2006). This was supported by a study done by Mizuno, Saito, Nishitoba, and Kawagashi (1995) where no antitumor activity of chitin was found. Most of mushrooms polysaccharides present as linear and branched glucans with different types of glycosidic linkages such as (1 / 3), (1 / 6)-b-glucans and (1 / 3)-a-glucans. However, some of them are true heteroglycans containing arabinose, mannose, fucose, galactose, xylose, glucose and glucuronic acids as main side chain components or in different combinations. Even though mushrooms polysaccharides are of different chemical composition, most of them belonging to the group of b-glucans (Wasser, 2002). In Pleurotus spp. it ranges from 2.2 to5.3 mg/g of dry matter, while in Lentinula edodes it was reported to be around 2 mg/g of dry matter as well (Manzi & Pizzoferrato, 2000). In the following year, Manzi, Aguzzi, and Pizzoferrato (2001) revealed the concentration of beta glucan in another three different species of mushrooms including the raw and cooked. Beta glucan in raw A. bisporus was ranging from 1.2 to1.7 mg/g, while in cooked ranging from 0.8 to4.2 mg/g. Raw P. ostreatus and dried Boletus contains 139.2 mg/g and 548.8 mg/g of beta glucan respectively, while the cooked mushroom has slightly higher concentration of beta glucan. Digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas or brush border of vertebrates, and of mammals in particular, are unable to hydrolyze b-glucosidic bonds. This make them resistant to acid hydrolysis in the stomach and remain non-digestible by human digestive enzymes (Van Loo,

Table 2. The composition of prebiotics, their properties and production methods.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) Soya-oligosaccharides (SOS)

Prebiotics

Inulin

Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) Pyrodextrins

Isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO)

DP, degree of polymerization; F, fructose; Gal, galactose; G, glucose. Source: Macfarlane et al., 2006; Vernazza, Rabiu, & Gibson, 2006 and Wang, 2009.

References

Commercialized

Commercialized

Commercialized

Commercialized

Status

Commercialized

11e65

2e10

Various Pyrolysis of potato or maize starch

Commercialized

Tranfructosylation from sucrose, or hydrolysis of chicory inulin Produced from lactose by b-galactosidase Extracted from soya bean whey

3e5 2e5 3e4

DP

2e4

Hot water extraction from chicory root

Production Method

Enzymic hydrolysis of xylan

Oligo-galactose (85%) with some glucose and lactose Mixture of rafnose (F-Gal-G) and stachyose (F-Gal-Gal-G) b(1-4)-linked xylose

b(2-1) fructans

b(2-1) fructans

Composition

Mixture of glucosecontaining oligosaccharides a(1-4) glucose and branched a(1-6) glucose

Transgalactosylation of maltose

2e8

Commercialized

F.M.N.A. Aida et al. / Trends in Food Science & Technology 20 (2009) 567e575 Table 3. Carbohydrate constituents isolated from various types of mushrooms. Carbohydrate constituents b-glucan Sources Pleurotus ostreatus Pleurotus eryngii Pleurotus tuberregium Ganoderma lucidum Ganoderma lucidum Phellinus baumii Pilat Edible mushrooms in Korea Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus bisporus, Flammulina velutipes, Pleurotus eryngii, Lentinus edodes Medicinal mushrooms in Korea Agaricus blazei, Sparassis crispa, Brown rice e Phellinus linteus, Ganoderma lucidum, Inonotus obliquus Krestin Chitin cultured mycelial biomass of Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail) Boletus spp European species of wild mushrooms (Agaricus spp, Boletus spp) fruiting bodies of Lentinus edodes liquid culture broth product of Schizophyllum commune (Split Gill) spores of Ganoderma lucidum Armillaria mellea Wasser, 2002 Manzi et al., 2004 Kalac, 2009 Wasser, 2002 Wasser, 2002 Bao, Liu, et al., 2001; Bao, Duan, et al.,2001 Sun, Liang, Zhang, Tong, & Liu, 2009 Revealed by

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Water-soluble heteropolysaccharides constituted with D-galactose, D-mannose, D-xylose, L-fructose, L-(or D)-arabinose Xylose, Fructose, Mannose, Glucose, Sucrose, Trehalose

Yoshioka et al., 1985; Synytsya et al., 2008; Tong et.al., 2009 Synytsya et al., 2008 Tao et al., 2006 Wang & Zhang, 2009 Sone et al., 1985; Miyazaki, 1982; Ge, Zhang & Sun, 2009 Kim et al., 2009

Lentinan Schizophyllan (1 / 3)-a-d-glucan and b-(1 / 3)-linked glucans Water soluble polysaccharides; (1 / 6) -linked-a-d-glucopyranosyl, (1 / 2,6)-linked-a-d-glucopyranosyl, (1 / 6)-linked-a-d-galactopyranosyl

2006). The non-digestible property of mushroom carbohydrate enables it to be considered as a potential source of prebiotic, as it meets part of prebiotics denition. However, intense studies need to be carried out, before such claim could be made because not all dietary carbohydrates are prebiotics (Gibson et al., 2004). Synytsya et al. (2008) gave a positive overview that mushrooms extract of P. ostreatus and P. eryngii were able to stimulate the growth of probitics e Lactobacillus ssp. (4 strains: Lac AeD), Bidobacterium ssp.(3 strains: Bi AeC) and Enterococcus faecium (2 strains: Ent A and B) e to some extent. Maximum growth rate, maximum biomass concentration and nal acid production were observed in the study. It was found that extract from P. eryngi support the growth of Lactobacillus strains better than P. ostreatus. Lactobacillus B and C showed the highest production of short chain fatty acid (SCFA), while Bidobacteria A showed the lowest amount of SCFA when supplemented with both extracts. Wang (2009) has highlighted and pointed out the important criteria of prebiotics. Fig. 1 illustrated the criteria for

classication of a food ingredient in order to be regarded as prebiotic. The rst criteria for prebiotics, which is nondigestible or resistant to upper gut tract is actually to ensure that the prebiotics can withstand digestive processes before they reach the colon, thus stimulate the benecial bacteria; bidobacteria and lactobacilli effectively (Gibson & Collins, 1999; Macfarlane et al., 2008). Resistance to digestive processes includes resistance towards gastric acidity, hydrolysis by mammalian enzymes and gastrointestinal absorption (Gibson et al., 2004). Some of the non-digestible oligosaccharides presently available or in development as food ingredients include carbohydrates in which the monosaccharide unit is fructose, galactose, glucose and/or xylose. The non-digestible oligosaccharides are made of one, two or even three monosachharides and have no nutritional signicant (Quigley, Hudson, & Englyst, 1999; Roberfroid, 2000). It is water soluble and exhibits some sweetness. However, the degree of sweetness depends on the chain length. It was reported that inulin with degree of polymerization more than ten does not taste sweet anymore (Roberfroid, 2000).

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Prebiotics Criteria

Resistance to upper gut tract

Fermentation by intestinal microbiota

Beneficial to the host health

Selective stimulation of probiotics

Stability to food processing

Fig. 1. Criteria for classication of a food ingredient as prebiotic. (Source: Wang, 2009).

Criteria which allow the classication of a food ingredient as a prebiotic also include selective fermentation by potentially benecial bacteria in the colon (Gibson et al., 2004; Wang, 2009). The effects of this fermentation may lead to an increase in the expression or change in the composition of short-chain fatty acids, increased fecal weight, a mild reduction in luminal colon pH, a decrease in nitrogenous end products and reductive enzymes, an increased expression of the binding proteins or active carriers associated with mineral absorption and immune system modulation (Douglas & Sanders, 2008), which is benecial to the host health; requirement for the third criteria. Selective stimulation of the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria potentially associated with health and well-being is considered as one of the criteria of prebiotics (Gibson et al., 2004). Prebiotics are reported to be particularly suited to the growth and activities of probiotics, bidobacteria and lactobacilli (Wang, 2009) and suppress the growth of clostridia and bacteroides. Palframan et al. (2003) had came out with a comparative quantitative tool known as Prebiotic Index (PI) for measurement of prebiotic effects in vitro. Assumption from the equation is that the increases in the population of bidobacteria and/or lactobacilli are considered a positive effect, while an increase in bacteroides and clostridia (histolyticum subgroup) are negative. PI can be calculated using the following equation: Prebiotic Index Bif Bac Lac Clos Total Total Total Total

compared to the rest. Inulin alone however showed negative PI at 8 h, but a positive PI at 24 h. However, this is the toughest criteria to be fullled. Not all candidate prebiotics showed selective fermentation. Study conducted by Langlands et al. (2004) and Duncan, Scott, and Ramsay (2003) demonstrated that fermentation of prebiotics-inulin has caused an increased in other bacterial genera such as Roseburia, Ruminococcus and Eubacterium in the gut. This is because different people harbour different bacterial species and the composition of the microbiota can be affected by a variety of other factors such as diet, disease, drugs, antibiotic, age and others (Macfarlane et al., 2006). Last but not least, a prebiotic must be able to withstand food processing conditions so that they remain intactdnot degraded or chemically altereddand available for bacterial metabolism in gut Huebner, Wehling, Parkhurst, and Hutkins (2008). As a result, the gastrointestinal health of human can be improved (Tuohy, Probert, Smejkal, & Gibson, 2003). Huebner et al. (2008) has tested a few commercial prebiotics over several processing conditions. It has conclusively shown that only heating at low pH caused signicant reduction in prebiotic activity of inulin, while fructooligosaccharides (FOS) contained product was observed to be the least stable. Other processing condition testeddprocessing at low pH and Maillard reaction conditiondshowed minimum changes in prebiotic activity. Conclusions The roles of prebiotic in improving and maintaining human health have been studied extensively. Food containing prebiotics can now be found easily in the market. These include bread, cereal bar, spread, confectioneries, sauces, infant milk formulae, beverages and health drink. Developing a new potential prebiotic from inexpensive and abundant materials like mushrooms are those qualities that need to be considered. There are great advantages of incorporating the mushrooms extracts in food as its polysaccharides were reported to exhibit immunomodulating properties, antitumor activities as well as anticancer activities. Consumers will not only beneted with the prebiotic effect of mushrooms extract, but also enjoying the medicinal benet of it. Even though scientic experiments have proven

Where Bif is bidobacterial numbers at sample time/numbers at inoculation, Bac is bacteroides numbers at sample time/numbers at inoculation, Lac is lactobacilli numbers at sample time/numbers at inoculation, Clos is Clostridia numbers at sample time/numbers at inoculation and total is total bacteria numbers at sample time/numbers at inoculation. Ghoddusi, Grandison, Grandison, and Tuohy (2007) studied the prebiotic effect of several candidate prebiotics-inulin, fructooligosaccharides, polydextrose and isomaltooligosaccharides alone and in combinationdby using Prebiotic Index. Mixture of fructooligosaccharides and inulin showed the highest PI at 8 h and 24 h as

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a signicant prebiotic effect of P. ostreatus and Pleurotus eryngii on selective microorganisms, an intensive and more thorough research need to be conducted as other prebiotic criteria has not been conrmed. It needs to be supported with thorough in vivo and in vitro studies. Furthermore, the avor of mushrooms extract need to be further studied and evaluated as it may impart the sensory properties of nal product. To date, only compounds responsible for the avor of mushrooms have being published and no reported data was found on the avor of extracted polysaccharides from mushrooms. Those ndings however reect a great potential of mushroom to be regarded as a source of prebiotics.

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