Extracellular Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum as a Functional Ingredient: Improving the Technological Quality...

Corn noodles, as a staple food, suffer from poor processing quality and high starch digestibility due to the lack of a gluten network. Magnetically treated Ganoderma lucidum extracellular polysaccharides (MEPSs) possess excellent water-binding and gel-forming properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of MEPSs at concentrations of 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% on the technological quality and functional properties of corn noodles and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through rheological, microstructural, and molecular analyses. The results showed that 0.6% MEPSs was the optimal concentration. Adding MEPSs enhanced dough viscoelasticity and water-holding capacity and induced a compact, continuous gel network with increased short-range molecular order and disulfide crosslinks. Consequently, the cooking loss and breaking rate of corn noodles decreased by 24.69% and 46.65%, respectively, while the hardness and springiness improved and cohesiveness was reduced. Functionally, adding 0.6% MEPSs inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase, slowing starch hydrolysis and reducing the estimated glycemic index from 76.4 to 72.3. It also significantly enhanced antioxidant activities, including DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging, as well as FRAP. In conclusion, MEPS is a natural multifunctional ingredient that simultaneously improves technological quality and confers hypoglycemic and antioxidant benefits to corn noodles, providing an efficient strategy for developing healthier staple foods.