Cryo-induced clarification of Termitomyces albuminosus hydrolysates: An emerging clean-label strategy

Clean-label clarification of polysaccharide-rich mushroom hydrolysates is critical for producing high-quality natural seasonings. In this study, we developed a green polysaccharide-targeted clarification strategy termed cryo-induced molecular flocculation (CIMF), which offers a remarkable advantage of being additive-free and highly efficient compared with conventional clarification methods such as natural sedimentation, ethanol-assisted flocculation, and chitosan-assisted flocculation for clarifying Termitomyces albuminosus hydrolysates (TAH). CIMF achieved a high clarification efficiency (60.41%) without the use of external flocculants by selectively aggregating and removing insoluble polysaccharides (41.25%) while efficiently retaining peptides (96.15%). Structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations further revealed that low temperature facilitated monosaccharide aggregation by reducing the solvent-accessible surface area and enhancing sugar–sugar interactions leading to compact cluster formation. In summary, CIMF represents a clean-label and polysaccharide-oriented clarification strategy that provides a sustainable and green approach for the manufacture of high-quality functional food ingredients.