Mannoprotein, a novel food ingredient from biosynthesis, preparation and nutritional aspects

Background

Mannoproteins, a type of complex glycoproteins, are predominantly present in yeast cell walls and have been attracted considerable attention in recent years owing to their distinctive properties and wide-ranging applications within the food industry.

Scope and approach

Recent advances in analytical techniques have enabled the researchers to perform a deeper understanding of mannoprotein structure and functionality in term of revealing their complicated branching patterns and specific glycosylation sites. Various extraction methodologies, including enzymatic, heat treatment, chemical and mechanical disruption approaches, have also been developed to efficiently isolate mannoproteins while maintaining their structural integrity.

Key findings and conclusions

The unique structure makes mannoproteins to be suitable for acting as stabilization agent and emulsifier accompanied with antioxidant activity and prebiotic effects in food matrix. Importantly, their functionality have been revealed in recent years, indicating that mannoproteins could modulate the structure of gut microbiota, followed by a reduced ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and an increased abundance of Faecalibacterium and Butyricicoccus. Furthermore, mannoproteins not only promote mitosis of macrophages, but also induce nitric oxide production in macrophages, thus stimulating immune response and realizing fine regulation of immunity to the body. Therefore, this review summarizes recent advances in mannoprotein research and highlights the existing knowledge gaps to enhance the understanding of this functional ingredient.