Schizophyllan: A review on its structure, properties, bioactivities and recent developments

Since its first discovery in the late 1960s, schizophyllan attracted much attention from both academia and industry. Schizophyllan is an exopolysaccharide elaborated by the basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune and appreciated as a multipurpose compound applicable in many fields, including food industry and pharmacy. In this review, the current knowledge on schizophyllan chemistry, physico-chemical properties, bioactivity and novel developments will be summarized and different application possibilities will be discussed. About 167 literatures were cited to summarize the advancement of schizophyllan in this paper.

► Structure, properties and bioactivities of schizophyllan were reviewed.
► Molecular structure and conformations determine its properties and bioactivities.
► Recent developments of schizophyllan are around super-molecular nano-assembly.