RESUMEN
A ß-D-glucan was obtained from the edible mushroom Pholiota nameko by hot aqueous extraction and purification. NMR and methylation analyses of the purified fraction (GHW-PN, 1.46% yield) indicated the presence of a (1â¯ââ¯3)-linked ß-D-glucan, highly substituted (~27%) at O-6 by single units of ß-D-Glcp or by (1â¯ââ¯6)-ß-D-Glcp fragments. The ß-glucan (at 0.5, 1, and 2%) showed shear thinning behavior and when the concentration of the solution increased, there was an increase in apparent viscosity. The ß-D-glucan presented gel-like behavior and thermal stability under a simulated pasteurization process, suggesting its potential as a thickening and gelling agent in products submitted to temperature variations. The ß-D-glucan at 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0â¯mgâ¯kg-1 significantly inhibited the inflammatory pain in 24.8, 56.9 and 82.3%, respectively, in the formalin-induced nociception in mice. The results pointed out that the ß-D-glucan (GHW-PN) isolated from P. nameko presents potential application for the food industry or for medical purposes.