Extracellular polysaccharide production by a strain of Pleurotus djamor isolated in the south of Brazil and antitumor activity on Sarcoma 180

Polysaccharides with medicinal properties can be obtained from fruiting bodies, mycelium and culture broth of several fungus species. This work was carried out in batch culture using a stirred tank reactor with two different initial glucose concentrations (40-50 g/L) and pH values (3.0-4.0) to enhance extracellular polysaccharides production by Pleurotus djamor UNIVILLE 001 and evaluate antitumor effect of intraperitonial administration of Pleurotus djamor extract on sarcoma 180 animal model. According to factorial design, the low pH value (pH 3.0) led to a gain of 1.6 g/L on the extracellular polysaccharide concentration, while glucose concentration in the tested range had no significant effect on the concentration of polysaccharide. With 40 g/L initial glucose concentration and pH 3.0, it was observed that yield factor of extracellular polysaccharide on substrate (Y P/S = 0.072) and maximum extracellular polysaccharide productivity (Q Pmax = 11.26 mg/L.h) were about 188% and 321% respectively higher than those obtained in the experiment performed at pH 4.0. Under these conditions, the highest values of the yield factor of biomass on substrate (Y X/S = 0.24) and maximal biomass productivity (Q Xmax = 32.2 mg/L.h) were also reached. In tumor response study, mean tumor volume on the 21th day was 35.3 cm³ in untreated group and 1.6 cm³ in treated group (p = 0.05) with a tumor inhibition rate of 94%. These impressive results suggests an inhibitory effect of P.djamor extract on cancer cells.

Cultivation of Agaricus blazei on Pleurotus spp. spent substrate

The aim of this work was the use of Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajor-caju for the previous lignocellulolytic decomposition of banana tree leaf straw and the further use of the degraded straw as substrate for the culture of Agaricus blazei. For optimising the production of A. blazei in terms of yield (Y percent) and biological efficiency (BE percent), adjustments to the composition of the substrate were evaluated in a 2(5) experimental design. The following components were tested in relation to percent of substrate dry mass: urea (1 and 10 percent), rice bran (10 or 20 percent) or ammonium sulphate (0 or 10 percent), inoculum (10 or 20 percent) and the casing material (subsoil or burned rice husks). The best results (79.71 Y percent and 6.73 BE percent) were found when the substrate containing 10 percent of rice bran, without ammonium sulphate, inoculated with 20 percent and covered with subsoil was used.

O cultivo de fungos comestíveis e medicinais utilizando resíduos da agroindústria vem se apresentando como uma alternativa econômica para o pequeno produtor rural, favorecendo a agricultura familiar do nordeste catarinense. Este trabalho avaliou o fungo Pleurotus para a decomposição lignocelulolítica de palha de folhas de bananeira e a utilização da palha residual como substrato para o cultivo de Agaricus blazei. Ajustes na composição do substrato residual de Pleurotus, tais como o tipo e a concentração da fonte de nitrogênio, a porcentagem de inóculo e a camada de cobertura, foram avaliadas. O substrato residual que mais favoreceu a produção de A. blazei em Eficiência Biológica (6,73 por cento), Rendimento (79,71 por cento) e menor tempo para emissão do primeiro primórdio (27 dias) foi o substrato residual de P. ostreatus inoculado com 20 por cento de inóculo (ms), 10 por cento de farelo de arroz (ms), sem sulfato de amônio e utilizando terra de subsolo como camada de cobertura.