Polysaccharides of Medicinal and Edible Homologous Plants and Mushrooms: Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Applications

Medicinal and edible homologous plant polysaccharides (MEHPs) and edible and medicinal mushroom polysaccharides (EMMPs) have attracted increasing attention due to their favorable safety profiles and diverse biological activities. However, existing reviews have mainly focused on individual extraction approaches or specific biological functions, lacking an integrated perspective that connects extraction strategies, structural characteristics, modification techniques, and industrial applications. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of MEHPs and EMMPs by systematically summarizing conventional and advanced extraction technologies, including ultrasound-, microwave-, and enzyme-assisted extraction, alongside deep eutectic solvent, supercritical fluid, and emerging physically assisted methods. Particular emphasis is placed on extraction mechanisms, kinetic modeling, structural preservation, and artificial intelligence-assisted process optimization. Furthermore, recent advances in multi-technique structural characterization, chemical modification strategies, structure–activity relationships, and applications in functional foods, prebiotics, drug delivery, and health-related fields are discussed. Finally, this review highlights key challenges limiting industrial translation, including raw material variability, insufficient higher-order structural characterization, unclear structure–activity relationships, limited clinical evidence, and regulatory barriers. Future perspectives integrating intelligent manufacturing, sustainable processing, and advanced computational approaches are proposed to facilitate the high-value and sustainable development of MEHPs and EMMPs.