Surface-modifying Ganoderma lucidum spores as improved microcarriers in protein delivery

Bioactive proteins and peptides hold significant potential in the food industry, particularly for the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, their effectiveness is often limited by poor oral bioavailability. While various protein delivery systems have been explored, challenges such as safety concerns and low protein encapsulation efficiency continue to hinder their use in food applications. This study presents a novel approach to enhancing protein delivery by chemically modifying Ganoderma lucidum spores (GLS) with charged surfaces to improve their protein-binding capabilities. Acid and alkali treatments were employed to modify the surface charge of GLS, while maintaining their structural integrity. The resulting GLS microcarriers demonstrated significantly enhanced protein-loading and encapsulation, achieving up to 34.93% (349.34 mg/g) loading capacity and 69.87% encapsulation efficiency using vacuum loading. The protein release kinetics under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions were investigated, and the role of electrostatic adsorption in this protein delivery system, which contributes to the enhanced protein-loading performance, was also discussed. These findings highlight GLS microcarriers as a promising, food-grade platform for high-capacity protein delivery, offering a practical and safe solution to current challenges in the incorporation of functional proteins into food products.