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Article

The Performance of Pleurotus eryngii β-Glucans on Protein Digestion and the Release of Free Amino Acids in the Bloodstream of Obese Adults

by
Charalampia Amerikanou
1,*,
Stamatia-Angeliki Kleftaki
1,
Aristea Gioxari
2,
Dimitra Tagkouli
1,
Alexandra Kasoura
1,
Stamatia Simati
3,
Chara Tzavara
1,
Alexander Kokkinos
3,
Nick Kalogeropoulos
1 and
Andriana C. Kaliora
1
1
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University, 17676 Athens, Greece
2
Department of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, School of Health Science, University of the Peloponnese, Antikalamos, 24100 Kalamata-Messinia, Greece
3
First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine, 11527 Athens, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2025, 14(15), 2649; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152649
Submission received: 8 July 2025 / Revised: 25 July 2025 / Accepted: 27 July 2025 / Published: 28 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Bioactive Compounds in Chronic Diseases Prevention and Ageing)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Pleurotus eryngii is an edible mushroom with previously characterized β-glucans. Its potential to ameliorate postprandial glycemia and regulate appetite at the postprandial state has been previously shown. However, its effect on protein digestion remains unexplored. We aimed to investigate the effect of baked P. eryngii with a known β-glucan content (4.5 g) on plasma free amino acids of patients with central obesity and metabolic abnormalities at a postprandial state. In this acute, randomized controlled cross-over study, thirteen healthy male volunteers consumed one meal that was prepared with P. eryngii and one control meal; each meal was separated by one month. Blood was collected, and plasma was isolated at different timepoints before and after the consumption. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to quantify 24 free amino acids in the plasma samples. The area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi) was computed, and the AUCi for aromatic amino acids was found to be higher after the consumption of the control meal compared to the P. eryngii meal (p = 0.027 for phenylalanine, p = 0.008 for tyrosine, and p = 0.003 for tryptophan). The above novel findings suggest that the β-glucans present in P. eryngii mushrooms are potential modulators of AA release into the bloodstream.
Keywords: Pleurotus eryngii; aromatic amino acids; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; obesity; metabolic syndrome Pleurotus eryngii; aromatic amino acids; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; obesity; metabolic syndrome

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MDPI and ACS Style

Amerikanou, C.; Kleftaki, S.-A.; Gioxari, A.; Tagkouli, D.; Kasoura, A.; Simati, S.; Tzavara, C.; Kokkinos, A.; Kalogeropoulos, N.; Kaliora, A.C. The Performance of Pleurotus eryngii β-Glucans on Protein Digestion and the Release of Free Amino Acids in the Bloodstream of Obese Adults. Foods 2025, 14, 2649. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152649

AMA Style

Amerikanou C, Kleftaki S-A, Gioxari A, Tagkouli D, Kasoura A, Simati S, Tzavara C, Kokkinos A, Kalogeropoulos N, Kaliora AC. The Performance of Pleurotus eryngii β-Glucans on Protein Digestion and the Release of Free Amino Acids in the Bloodstream of Obese Adults. Foods. 2025; 14(15):2649. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152649

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amerikanou, Charalampia, Stamatia-Angeliki Kleftaki, Aristea Gioxari, Dimitra Tagkouli, Alexandra Kasoura, Stamatia Simati, Chara Tzavara, Alexander Kokkinos, Nick Kalogeropoulos, and Andriana C. Kaliora. 2025. "The Performance of Pleurotus eryngii β-Glucans on Protein Digestion and the Release of Free Amino Acids in the Bloodstream of Obese Adults" Foods 14, no. 15: 2649. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152649

APA Style

Amerikanou, C., Kleftaki, S.-A., Gioxari, A., Tagkouli, D., Kasoura, A., Simati, S., Tzavara, C., Kokkinos, A., Kalogeropoulos, N., & Kaliora, A. C. (2025). The Performance of Pleurotus eryngii β-Glucans on Protein Digestion and the Release of Free Amino Acids in the Bloodstream of Obese Adults. Foods, 14(15), 2649. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152649

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