Improvement of soluble dietary fiber quality in Tremella fuciformis stem by steam explosion technology: An evaluation of structure and function

Edible fungi by-products are rich in dietary fiber (DF). In this study, we used steam explosion (SE) to modify Tremella fuciformis (T. fuciformis) stem DF. The SE conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), and the soluble dietary fiber (SDF) extraction rate increased 1.42-fold (from 23.33 ± 0.42 % to 33.21 ± 0.28 %) under optimized conditions. SE destroyed the dense structure of SDF, which improved the specific surface area and thermal stability. Furthermore, the structural changes induced by SE resulted in improved functional properties, and SDF had better hydration properties (water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, and swelling capacity increased by 1.23, 1.59, and 1.24 times, respectively) and hypoglycemic capacity (glucose adsorption capacity increased 1.84-fold at 100 mmol/L glucose). Therefore, SE is an excellent modification method for improving quality of edible fungi processing by-products SDF.