A comparative study on the physio‐chemical properties, antioxidant and immuno‐stimulating activities of two national geographical indication products of Tremella fuciformis in China

Summary Tremella fuciformis from Gutian in Fujian Province (TF‐GT) and Tongjiang in Sichuan Province (TF‐TJ) in China are two geographical indication (GI) products that are mainly differentiated and characterised by their cultivation methods. To better understand the qualities of the GI products of T. fuciformis , a comparative study was conducted on the physio‐chemical properties, antioxidant and immuno‐stimulating activities of TF‐GT and TF‐TJ. The results showed that TF‐GT has a higher content of ash, polysaccharides and protein, but lower essential amino acid/total amino acid compared with TF‐TJ. The rehydration ratio and the desirable viscous characteristics varied in a species‐dependent manner. The water extract (component, 70.79% polysaccharides) from TF‐GT showed higher immuno‐stimulating activity. TF‐GT and TF‐TJ can be separated via cluster analysis, suggesting that the above‐mentioned parameters are essential to characterise the qualities of GI products of T. fuciformis . Understanding these different properties are vital to product processing and dietary guideline formulation.