Key takeaways
- Chitin is a tough polysaccharide found in fungal cell walls and insect shells.
- The fungal cell wall combines chitin with beta-glucans and proteins.
- Humans digest chitin poorly, so mushrooms are cooked or extracted.
- Extraction aims to release compounds from behind the cell wall.
The fungal cell wall is one of the main reasons mushrooms are processed the way they are. At its heart is chitin, a tough material better known from insect shells. This article explains what chitin is and why it matters.
What is chitin?
Chitin is a polysaccharide made of a modified sugar called N-acetylglucosamine. It is extremely tough and forms the shells of insects and crustaceans. In fungi, it is a key structural part of the cell wall.
The fungal cell wall
The fungal cell wall is a layered structure. Chitin fibres provide strength, interwoven with beta-glucans and other polysaccharides and proteins. This combination makes the wall strong and flexible, and resistant to breaking down.
Why chitin matters
- Digestion: humans have limited ability to break down chitin, so raw mushrooms are relatively hard to digest.
- Cooking: heat softens mushroom tissue, which is why mushrooms are almost always cooked.
- Extraction: many compounds are bound within or behind the cell wall. Heat, solvents and techniques such as ultrasound help release them.
See Why Mushroom Cell Walls Matter for Extraction.
Chitin and chitosan
Chitosan is a modified form of chitin, produced commercially, mainly from crustacean shells. It is used in various industries. Mushroom extracts are not chitosan products.
Why this is part of the extraction story
Whole dried mushroom powder still contains its cell walls intact. Extraction is designed to draw compounds out from behind that barrier. That’s the main reason extracted products and whole powders aren’t equivalent. See Raw Mushroom Powder vs Extract Powder.