Improvement of Ergone Production from Mycelial Culture of Polyporus umbellatus

Ergone,a fungal metabolite derived from ergosterol,was previously isolated and identified from Polyporus umbellatus. Ergone is a major component of P. umbellatus known to have anti-aldosteronic diuretic effect and also displays cytotoxic activities. Most of mushroom's fruit bodies used for test contained less than 10 microg/g of ergone. But P. umbellatus have larger amount of ergone than any other mushrooms. In order to improve the ergone production from the submerged culture of P. umbellatus, several factors including medium composition,culture conditions (temperature and pH) and different combinations of co-cultivation with various mycelia were studied. Among various carbon sources examined,starch proved to be most effective for the production of mycelia. The optimum pH and temperature for a flask culture of P. umbellatus mycelia were found to be 4.5 and 25degrees C,respectively. Under the optimized culture conditions,both the ergone production (86.9 microg/g) and mycelial growth (3.5 g/l) increased when P. umbellatus was cultured with Armillariella mellea. When the optimized conditions were applied,both mycelium and ergone production were significantly enhanced.

Sclerotial Development of Grifola umbellata

Sclerotial development of Grifola umbellata (Pers. : Fr.) Donk was investigated through microscopic examinations. The sclerotium of G. umbellata was bumpy and rugged, multi-branched, and dark-brown to black in color. The sclerotial development of G. umbellata was categorized into three stages such as sclerotial initial, development and maturation. Sclerotium development was initiated as the white fungal mass. The superficial part of white sclerotium changed into gray, light brown and then black as its development proceeded further. As a distinctive characteristic of this fungus, a large number of crystals were observed in the medulla layer of sclerotium during its maturation. For development of new sclerotium, G. umbellata formed a white sclerotial primordium on the matured sclerotium. Development of sclerotium in G. umbellata was intimately associated with rhizomorphs of Armillariella mellea and the developing sclerotia were often penetrated by rhizomorphs of A. mellea into medulla layer.

EFFECTS OF ARMILLARIELLA MELLEA POLYSACCHARIDE ON IMMUNOLOGCAL FUNCTION IN MICE / 中国药理学通报

Armillariella mellea polysaccharide ( AP ) was isolated from solid fermented Armillariella mellea. AP ( 100 mg/kg?d, ig ? 5 d ) increased the production of serum hemolysin in normal mice as well as in im-munodepressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide. At the dose of 50 mg/kg?d ig?5d, AP also caused a significant increase of spleen plaque forming cells ( PFC ) in normal mice. AP ( 10, 50?g/ml ) markedly enhanced Con A-induced lymphocyte proliferation of mouse spleen cells in vitro, but it had no potentiating effect on delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity ( DCH ) to 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene ( DNCB ) in normal mice. AP ( 100 mg/kg/d, sc? 7d) increased both clearance rate of iv charcoal particles and phagocytic activity of ma-crophages of abdominal cavity in normal mice.