Hydrothermal Extraction and Micronization of Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum in a One- Step Process

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) is a mushroom-forming white rot fungus that contains a wide variety of bioactive components (glucans). In this study, G. lucidum was utilized for the extraction of polysaccharides by hot compressed water at a temperature of 160 o C and a pressure of 4.0 MPa using a semi-batch system. Under these conditions, thermal softening of G. lucidum occurred, allowing the removal of the polysaccharides protecting other constituents in G. lucidum via hydrolysis. Next, the extract was directly atomized by spray drying to remove the water. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the particles formed were spherical and dimpled or shriveled with diameters varying from 1 to 6 m. Based on these results it is proposed that this process is applicable to isolate polysaccharides from other types of biomass and may result in advances in extraction technology to obtain plant biomass components.