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. 2025 May 23;12(1):44.
doi: 10.1186/s40643-025-00854-z.

Revitalizing Pleurotus eryngii polysaccharides: gamma irradiation boosts antidiabetic and antioxidant potential

Eman H F Abd El-Zaher  1 , Ehab M Tousson  2 , Azza A Mostafa  3 , Enas M El-Gaar  1 , Galal Yahya  4   5 , Yehia A-G Mahmoud  6
Affiliations

Revitalizing Pleurotus eryngii polysaccharides: gamma irradiation boosts antidiabetic and antioxidant potential

Eman H F Abd El-Zaher et al. Bioresour Bioprocess. .

Abstract

Polysaccharides derived from Pleurotus eryngii possess various bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, polysaccharides were extracted from P. eryngii fruiting bodies and exposed to gamma irradiation at doses of 50 and 100 kGy, with a dose rate of 5 kGy/h. The surface morphology of the polysaccharide irradiated at 100 kGy exhibited numerous pores and a smaller flake structure compared to those irradiated at 50 kGy and the non-irradiated sample. 1H and 13C NMR spectra of all samples indicated that both irradiated and non-irradiated polysaccharides exhibited α- and β-configurations, with signals corresponding to C1-C5 clearly observed. HPLC analysis of the polysaccharides revealed that glucose (75.23%), galactose (4.96%), glucuronic acid (1.38%), ribose (0.94%), rhamnose (2.35%), and mannose (3.87%) are the main components. All polysaccharides demonstrated antioxidant activity, which increased with concentration. Both non-irradiated and irradiated polysaccharides exhibited antidiabetic effects, significantly reducing blood glucose levels, and restoring insulin level with superiority of irradiated polysaccharides. Additionally, they significantly elevated body weight, slightly reduced MDA levels, and markedly enhanced catalase activity in treated rats compared to diabetic controls. The antidiabetic effects of the polysaccharides were further confirmed by histopathological examination of the pancreas and liver sections from polysaccharide-treated diabetic rats. This suggests that irradiation, by reducing the molecular weight of polysaccharides, enhances their bioavailability and efficacy in modulating glucose metabolism.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Diabetic; Gamma radiation; Histopathology; Mushroom; Polysaccharides.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) of Tanta University’s Faculty of Science (IACUC-SCI-TU-0170). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scanning electron microscope for P. eryngii Polysaccharides. (A) Non-irradiated P. eryngii polysaccharides (B) Irradiated P. eryngii polysaccharides at 50 kGy. (C) Irradiated P. eryngii polysaccharides at 100 kGy
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Nuclear magnetic resonance and HPLC analysis of polysaccharides obtained from P. eryngii and 100 kGy irradiated polysaccharides. (A) The 1H NMR analysis of non-irradiated polysaccharides obtained from P. eryngii. (B) The 1H NMR analysis of P. eryngii irradiated polysaccharides at 100 kGy dose. (C) The 13C NMR analysis of non-irradiated polysaccharides obtained from P. eryngii.(D) The 13C NMR analysis of P. eryngii irradiated polysaccharides at 100 kGy dose. (E) HPLC analysis of monomer of polysaccharides obtained from P. eryngii. Peaks no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 refer to mannose, ribose, rhamnose, glucuronic, glucose and galactose sugars respectively. (Figure 2A and C, and 2E are adapted and modified with permission from (Abd El-Zaher et al. 2022)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Antioxidant activity of non-irradiated and irradiated polysaccharides (50 and 100 kGy) from P. eryngii at different doses. (A) DPPH assay for estimating the antioxidant activity. (B) IC50 of antioxidant activity of non-irradiated polysaccharides and irradiated polysaccharides from P. eryngii by DPPH. *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001. Statistical significance was analyzed by Two Tailed Unpaired T test
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Metabolic effects of irradiated polysaccharides in normal and STZ- induced diabetic rats. (A) Serum glucose concentration in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rat after 1, 3 and 6 weeks. (B) Changes in the mean body weight between the different groups under study. (C) Serum glucose concentration in different treated groups. (D) Serum insulin level in different treated groups. ns (no significance), * p < 0.05. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001. Statistical significance was analyzed by One-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Biochemical impact of irradiated polysaccharides on oxidative stress in liver and kidney tissues. (A) L- MDA level of liver and kidney tissues in different treated groups. (B) Catalase activity in liver and kidney tissues in different treated groups. ns (no significance), * p < 0.05. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001. Statistical significance was analyzed by One-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Photomicrograph of pancreatic tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin. (A) Control Wistar rats. (B) Normal rats orally feeding with non-irradiated polysaccharides. (C) Normal rats orally feeding with irradiated polysaccharides. (D) Diabetic rats. (E) Treated diabetic rats with non-irradiated polysaccharides. (F) Treated diabetic rats with irradiative polysaccharides. Acinar cells (AC), Langerhans’ islet (L)
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Hematoxylin and eosin-stained photomicrographs of liver tissue in Wistar rats. (A) Control Wistar rats showing normal hepatic structure. (B) Normal rats orally feeding with non-irradiated polysaccharides. (C) Normal rats orally feeding with irradiated polysaccharides. (D) Diabetic rats. (E) Treated diabetic rats with non-irradiated polysaccharides. (F) Treated diabetic rats with irradiative polysaccharides. Cv: central vein, Hp: Hepatocyte plates
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