Environmental factors affecting urease production by penicillium funiculosum 258

Maximum urease synthesis was obtained by the fungus Penicillium funiculosum 258 when grown on medium containing urea as sole nitrogen source at concentration of 0.5% and 1% glucose as carbon source adjusted to pH 6 and inoculated with 10% previously prepared inoculum in shaked culture with 4: 1 air medium ratio for 3 days incubation. Urease production by the tested fungus required addition of thiamine and biotin to the culture medium at concentrations of 0.001%. The enzyme activity of the formulated medium increased from 15.3 mu/ml to 29.65% mu/ml and the enzyme productivity also increased from 3.31 to 8.97 mu/mg dry weight

Trichoderma harzianum fungus as an anti-diabetic protein

High protein product of Trichoderma harzianum fungus was tested as an antidiabetic protein. It caused decrease in blood glucose level of alloxan diabetic rats from 170.7 +/- 7.9 to 160.1 +/- 6.9 mg/100 ml blood after 24 hours, when orally administered at 200 mg/100 g body weight. Further improvements were detected after increasing the dose to 400 mg. The blood glucose level decreased below 150 mg/100 ml. Similar decrease in blood glucose level was observed after 48 hours from administration of 200 mg fungal protein. The glucose level in blood decreased from 214.7 +/- 10.3 to 202.4 +/- 3.9 mg/100 ml. The increase of fungal product to 400 mg decreased blood glucose level below 187.6 +/- 7.3 mg/100 ml. Yeast protein product was also used for comparison with fungal protein. The administration of 400 mg to diabetic rats decreased the blood glucose level from 170.7 +/- 7.9 to 145.4 +/- 5.2 after 24 hours and from 214.7 +/- 10.3 to 154.3 +/- 8.6 after 48 hours. The deplated glutathion in diabetic rats [7 +/- 1.0 mg/100 ml] after 2 hours of administration was regenerated gradually by both fungal and yeast protein products till it reached the approximate normal level after 24 and 48 hours

Safety evaluation of trichoderma harzianum fungus as a feed stuff for rats

The fungal protein product was given to the rats by oral administration in two doses, 200 and 400 mg per rat per day. Two experiments were done to investigate any possible toxic effects on the internal organs the reproductive performance of pregnant rats and their embryonic development. Paraffin sections from the liver. Kidney, large intestine, uterus and testis were stained by hematoxylin and eosin as well as periodic acid Schiff. Embryos were similarly processed. All investigated organs showed normal architecture. PAS steined the basement membrane, the glycogen and mucin present in these organs. The reproductive performance of the pregnant rats revealed no significant changes in the weight and number of the foetuses in both the control and tested rats. No abortions were reported. Cross sections of embryos showed normal histology. From the previous investigations, it was concluded that the fungal protein product have no toxic effects and could be used safely for feeding purposes if given in limited doses ranging from 200 to 400 mg per 100 g body weight

Lipids of trichoderma harzianum cultured on rice straw

Various lipid extraction. methods were applied to Trichoderma harzianum dry cells. The high lipid percentage 13.27% was obtained by Pedersen's method using chloroform methanol [1:1], Chromatographic analysis of the mycelial extractable lipids revealed the presence of phospholipids, monoglycerides, diglycerides + free sterols, free fatty acids, triglycerides, sterol esters and hydrocarbons. It was possible to identify the presence of cardiolipin, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylethmiolamine, lysophosphatidylinositol and lysophosphatidylcholine in the phospholipid fraction of Trichoderma harzianum. Studies made on the fatty acid composition of the fungal mycelium, showed the predominance of oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids