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Fungal Biology Mar 2019There are few environments more hostile and species-poor than deserts and the mounds of Nasutitermitinae termites. However, despite the very different adaptations... (Review)
Review
There are few environments more hostile and species-poor than deserts and the mounds of Nasutitermitinae termites. However, despite the very different adaptations required to survive in such extreme and different environments, the fungal genus Podaxis is capable of surviving in both: where few other fungi are reported to grow. Despite their prominence in the landscape and their frequent documentation by early explorers, there has been relatively little research into the genus. Originally described by Linnaeus in 1771, in the early 20th Century, the then ∼25 species of Podaxis were almost entirely reduced into one species: Podaxis pistillaris. Since this reduction, several new species of Podaxis have been described but without consideration of older descriptions. This has resulted in 44 recognised species names in Index Fungorum but the vast majority of studies and fungarium specimens still refer to P. pistillaris. Studies of Podaxis' extremely different lifestyles is hampered by its effective reduction to a single-species genus. Here we examine the history of the taxonomy of Podaxis before focusing on its extreme lifestyles. From this, we consider how the muddled taxonomy of Podaxis may be resolved; opening up further avenues for future research into this enigmatic fungal genus.
Topics: Agaricales; Desert Climate; Environmental Microbiology
PubMed: 30798873
DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.01.001 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2020The current management practice of digestate from biogas plants involves its use for land application as a fertilizer. Nevertheless, the inadequate handling of digestate...
The current management practice of digestate from biogas plants involves its use for land application as a fertilizer. Nevertheless, the inadequate handling of digestate may cause environmental risks due to losses of ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide. Therefore, the key goals of digestate management are to maximize its value by developing new digestate products, reducing its dependency on soil application and the consequent air pollution. The high nitrogen and lignin content in solid digestate make it a suitable substrate for edible and medicinal mushroom cultivation. To this aim, the mycelial growth rate and degradation capacity of the lignocellulosic component from corn silage digestate, undigested wheat straw and their mixture were investigated on and . The structural modification of the substrates was performed by using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Preliminary in vitro results demonstrated the ability of , and to grow and decay hemicellulose and lignin of digestate. Cultivation trials were carried out on , and . showed the highest biological efficiency and fruiting body production in the presence of the digestate; moreover, and were able to degrade the lignin. These results provide attractive perspectives both for more sustainable digestate management and for the improvement of mushroom cultivation efficiency.
Topics: Agaricales; Ascomycota; Coprinus; Lignin; Pleurotus; Polysaccharides; Silage; Zea mays
PubMed: 32630357
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25133020 -
Journal of Ethnobiology and... Mar 2020Menge District has long been inhabited by people who have a long tradition of using wild mushrooms mainly as food, source of income, and medicine. Extensive utilization...
BACKGROUND
Menge District has long been inhabited by people who have a long tradition of using wild mushrooms mainly as food, source of income, and medicine. Extensive utilization of wild edible mushrooms (WEM) coupled with an ever-increasing population growth, deforestation, and agricultural land expansion threatens fungal diversity and WEM in the area. Hence, this study is aimed at documenting and analyzing the ethnomycological knowledge of the people in order to preserve the dwindling WEM wealth and associated indigenous knowledge.
METHODS
Ethnomycological data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and walk-in-the-woods methods. Statistical tests were used to compare the indigenous knowledge and practice of wild mushroom among different informant categories using One-way ANOVA and t tests.
RESULTS
A total of 20 ethnomycologically important wild mushroom species belonging to ten genera and six families were identified, of which 15 were reported to be edible in the District. The family Lyophyllaceae was represented by the highest number of species (nine species, 45%) followed by Agaricaceae (seven species, 35%) and each of the remaining four families had single species representation. Significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed on the mean number of WEM reported among different group of respondents. Wild edible mushroom collection habit and practice was significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by gender, age, and literacy level. The output of preference ranking exercise indicated Termitomyces schimperi was ranked first followed by Termitomyces letestui, Termitomyces microcarpus, and Termitomyces eurhizusas as the most preferred edible mushrooms respectively.
CONCLUSION
The present study shows that Menge District is rich in wild mushroom diversity and associated indigenous knowledge. However, anthropogenic factors together with loss of indigenous knowledge and very poor conservation efforts threaten the survival of economically and ecologically important mushrooms in the area. Thus, complementary in situ and ex situ mushroom conservation strategy is highly recommended.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Agaricales; Ethiopia; Female; Food; Humans; Knowledge; Male; Medicine, Traditional; Middle Aged; Termitomyces; Young Adult
PubMed: 32131860
DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00361-9 -
BioMed Research International 2013Sparassis crispa, also known as cauliflower mushroom, is an edible mushroom with medicinal properties. Its cultivation became popular in Japan about 10 years ago, a... (Review)
Review
Sparassis crispa, also known as cauliflower mushroom, is an edible mushroom with medicinal properties. Its cultivation became popular in Japan about 10 years ago, a phenomenon that has been attributed not only to the quality of its taste, but also to its potential for therapeutic applications. Herein, I present a comprehensive summary of the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action of its bioactive components, such as beta-glucan, and other physiologically active substances. In particular, the immunomodulatory mechanisms of the beta-glucan components are presented herein in detail.
Topics: Agaricales; Biological Products; Humans; Japan; Polyporales; beta-Glucans
PubMed: 23586068
DOI: 10.1155/2013/982317 -
IET Nanobiotechnology Apr 2023Fungi can produce many compounds, such as proteins, enzymes, amino acids, and polysaccharides, which are internalised and enriched for metals, and are widely used as...
Fungi can produce many compounds, such as proteins, enzymes, amino acids, and polysaccharides, which are internalised and enriched for metals, and are widely used as reducing and stabilising agents for the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Almost all fungal sources used in the synthesis of the Au NPs are in the form of cell filtrates or mycelial suspensions. However, the culture of cell-free fungal filtrate and mycelium is not comparable to the propagation of fungal substrates in input and operation. Here, we evaluated in vivo biosynthesis of Au NPs in enoki mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes). HAuCl was reduced in the fruiting body of the enoki mushrooms via induction by Pb , resulting in the generation of Au NPs. We then employed UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscope, and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer to characterise various shapes of the Au NPs. The elemental analysis indicated that the Au NPs were mainly concentrated in organelles of the stalk and cap cells. We also demonstrated that 0.3-0.5 mM HAuCl was the optimal stress treatment concentration based on the changes in physiological indicators of the enoki mushrooms. This work reveals that fungi can be utilised well as nanomaterial bioreactors.
Topics: Flammulina; Agaricales; Gold; Lead; Metal Nanoparticles; Ascomycota
PubMed: 36401804
DOI: 10.1049/nbt2.12104 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Feb 2024Pleurotus ostreatus, also known as the oyster mushroom, is a popular edible mushroom cultivated worldwide. This review aims to survey recent progress in the molecular... (Review)
Review
Pleurotus ostreatus, also known as the oyster mushroom, is a popular edible mushroom cultivated worldwide. This review aims to survey recent progress in the molecular genetics of this fungus and demonstrate its potential as a model mushroom for future research. The development of modern molecular genetic techniques and genome sequencing technologies has resulted in breakthroughs in mushroom science. With efficient transformation protocols and multiple selection markers, a powerful toolbox, including techniques such as gene knockout and genome editing, has been developed, and numerous new findings are accumulating in P. ostreatus. These include molecular mechanisms of wood component degradation, sexual development, protein secretion systems, and cell wall structure. Furthermore, these techniques enable the identification of new horizons in enzymology, biochemistry, cell biology, and material science through protein engineering, fluorescence microscopy, and molecular breeding. KEY POINTS: • Various genetic techniques are available in Pleurotus ostreatus. • P. ostreatus can be used as an alternative model mushroom in genetic analyses. • New frontiers in mushroom science are being developed using the fungus.
Topics: Pleurotus; Agaricales; Materials Science; Cell Wall; DNA Shuffling
PubMed: 38372792
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13034-4 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2023The research investigates the potential use of maize cobs (or corncobs) from five genotypes, including the B73 inbred line and four locally cultivated landraces from...
The research investigates the potential use of maize cobs (or corncobs) from five genotypes, including the B73 inbred line and four locally cultivated landraces from Northern Italy, as substrate for implementing Solid State fermentation processes with four Medicinal Mushrooms (MMs). The corncobs were characterized based on their proximate composition, lignin, phenolics content (both free and bound), and total antioxidant capacity. Among the MMs tested, Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma annularis demonstrated the most robust performance. Their growth was parametrized using Image Analysis technique, and chemical composition of culture samples was characterized compared to that of corncobs alone. In all culture samples, the growth of MMs led to a significant reduction (averaging 40%) in the total phenolics contents compared to that measured in corncobs alone. However, the high content of free phenolics in the cobs negatively impacted the growth of P. ostreatus. The final MM-corncob matrix exhibited reduced levels of free sugars and starch (≤ 2.2% DW, as a sum) and increased levels of proteins (up to 5.9% DW) and soluble dietary fiber (up to 5.0% DW), with a notable trend toward higher levels of β-glucan compared to corncobs alone. This research paves the way for the use of this matrix as an active ingredient to enhance the nutritional value of food preparations.
Topics: Agaricales; Zea mays; Pleurotus; Antioxidants; Agriculture; Phenols
PubMed: 38036649
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48252-9 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2020The region of Warmia and Mazury is characterized by the special diversity and richness of its natural environment, including large forest complexes, where wild mushrooms...
The region of Warmia and Mazury is characterized by the special diversity and richness of its natural environment, including large forest complexes, where wild mushrooms are commonly collected and consumed. This study aimed to examine the differences in mineral content (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese) of three species of mushrooms collected in north-eastern Poland. The research material consisted of dried samples of king bolete (), bay bolete (), and chanterelle () collected in the region of Warmia and Mazury. The content of the above-mentioned elements in mushroom fruit bodies was determined using the flame atomic absorption spectrometry (acetylene-air flame) and the emission technique (acetylene-air flame) for sodium and potassium. For the majority of micro- and macroelements, the studies confirmed the presence of significant differences in their content, depending on the species of fungi. The studied mushrooms cover a significant percentage of daily demand for many of the minerals. This concerns mainly copper, zinc, and potassium, although none of the species was a good source of calcium and sodium. Among the analyzed mushrooms, chanterelle is the best source of most minerals.
Topics: Agaricales; Biodiversity; Minerals; Poland; Species Specificity; Statistics as Topic
PubMed: 32781786
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163588 -
Nutritional Profiling and Antioxidant Property of Three Wild Edible Mushrooms from North East India.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2022The mushroom is an important food for the rural tribal populations in Manipur, because of its high nutritional contents. In this study, we report on the nutritional...
The mushroom is an important food for the rural tribal populations in Manipur, because of its high nutritional contents. In this study, we report on the nutritional profile of three wild edible mushrooms consumed by the tribal populations of Manipur viz.: J124; J201 and J470. The studied mushrooms possess a high protein content of 37.6%, 20.8% and 16.4%, respectively. They have a high vitamin C content with low vitamin B1, B2 and folic acid. Among the three mushrooms, J124 possesses the highest mineral content, followed by J470 and J201. The total phenolic content of J201, J124 and J470 were 26.206, 29.23 and 30.99 mg GAE/g, with flavonoid content of 6.646, 6.854 and 9.187 mg quercetin/g, respectively. J470 has the highest TPC and TFC content, which correlates with its DPPH radical scavenging activity. The IC50 values for J470, J124 and J201 are 242.0 µg/mL, 550.4 µg/mL and 689.0 µg/mL, respectively, which suggest that the higher content of phenolic compounds in J470 contributes to its radical scavenging properties.
Topics: Agaricales; Antioxidants; Flavonoids; India; Phenols
PubMed: 36080192
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175423 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022is an edible medicinal mushroom species with a high dietary value. In this study, the fruiting bodies of commercial and self-cultivated crops and mycelium from in vitro...
is an edible medicinal mushroom species with a high dietary value. In this study, the fruiting bodies of commercial and self-cultivated crops and mycelium from in vitro cultures (both white and brown varieties) were evaluated. This study aimed to analyze the presence of indole compounds and other biologically active substances and determine the effect that the addition of zinc and magnesium ions to the culture medium has on the content of the tested compounds in mycelial cultures. The content of indole compounds and other organic compounds was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, the content of bioelements was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry, the glucan content was determined spectrophotometrically, and the antioxidant activity of extracts was estimated using DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS methods. The results showed that mycelium from in vitro cultures is a good source of indole compounds, bioelements, glucans, and lovastatin. Mycelia from in vitro cultures showed the most diverse composition of indole compounds (L-tryptophan, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-methyltryptamine, and melatonin). Additionally, in vitro cultures of enriched with Zn and Mg salts increased the contents of Na, Ca, Zn, 5-methyltryptamine, melatonin, protocatechuic acid, sterols, and total glucans. Only in the case of the white variety of mycelial enriched cultures, ergothioneine and Mg levels also increased. To summarize, the content of the active compounds differed depending on the variety and the tested material.
Topics: Fruiting Bodies, Fungal; Melatonin; Tryptophan; Agaricales
PubMed: 36558049
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248917