Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide-chitosan oligosaccharide hydrogels: Rheological insights and application as novel probiotic carriers.

To overcome the inherent limitations of polysaccharide hydrogels in probiotic delivery, such as insufficient mechanical strength and gastrointestinal stability, a novel composite hydrogel (HEP/COS) was fabricated via the non-covalent assembly of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (HEP) and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS). The optimized 5%-HEP/0.5%-COS formulation demonstrated superior rheological properties, characterized by a broad linear viscoelastic region (LVR) up to 20.5% strain. Notably, it provided significant protection to probiotics during gastrointestinal transit, markedly enhancing the survival rates of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN). The hydrogel facilitated targeted intestinal release while exhibiting excellent biocompatibility. This research presents a viable biomaterial and establishes a rheological framework for designing advanced probiotic delivery systems.