Earticle

The king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) is widely consumed because of its flavor, texture, and its functional properties such as antioxidant activity and prebiotic effects. However, long-term product storage and transportation (e.g., export) are difficult because of its limited durability. The shelf-life of king oyster mushroom is affected by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, gas composition, and ventilation, which may affect sensory characteristics including respiration rate, texture, moisture, flavor, color, and pH. The major problems regarding storage of mushrooms are browning, flavor changes, and softening. To address these problems, novel preservation techniques were developed, and more durable variants were bred. Different drying methods, gamma irradiation, chitosan coating, modified atmosphere (MA) packaging, and controlled atmosphere (CA) storage were evaluated in order to extend the shelf-life of king oyster mushrooms. Freeze drying showed better results for the preservation of mushrooms than other drying methods. Irradiation with 1 kGy was more effective for extending mushroom shelf-life than higher doses. The preservative performance of chitosan-based films was improved by combining the compound with other hydrocolloids, such as oil, protocatechuic acid, and wax. The CA storage conditions recommended for king oyster mushrooms are 5kPa O2 and 10 to 15kPa CO2 at temperatures below 10 o C. Active MA packaging with microperforated PP film was also effective for maintaining quality during storage.

Pleurotus eryngii is one of the most commercially important mushrooms cultivated in Korea. However, the shelf-life of the fruiting body is short, limiting its export. A new hybrid strain H17 of P. eryngii was developed to extend the shelf-life by mono-mono crossing between monokaryotic strains derived from DanBi and KNR2774. Although the cultivation period of H17 was slightly longer than that of the reference cultivar Kenneutari No.2, the quality did not change and remained normal after a period of 65.0 days at 4°C. This result was significantly different from that of the reference cultivar Kenneutari No.2. Analysis of the genetic characteristics of the new hybrid strain H17 revealed a different profile from that of the parental and reference cultivars when random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers was used. These results demonstrate that H17 is a new cultivar with improved storability after harvesting.

This study was aimed to improve the productivity and income of mushroom farming by developing a new casing material as a substitute for clay loam casing soil, which is becoming more difficult to acquire. When the new casing materials were used for the stable production of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), a 1:1 mixture of clay loam and button mushroom media obtained after harvest supported 13% greater mycelial growth (32.0 kg/3.3 m2). This material was better than clay loam soil in preventing contamination with environmental compounds and pests. The use of an inexpensive 1:1 mixture of peat moss and coco peat resulted superior mycelial growth with 4% better yield (32.9 kg/3.3 m2) compared with conventional clay loam soil. Advantages of these casing materials included ready availability and improved productivity. Mixtures of peat moss + coco peat + zeolite (50%:30%:20%) and coco peat + coal ash (75%:25%) could substitute for conventional casing soil. Additionally, the novel mixtures containing material obtained after cultivation might be used to produce organic fertilizer.

In this study, we analyze the growth environment using smart farm technology in order to develop the optimal growth model for the precision cultivation of the bottle-grown oyster mushroom ‘Suhan’. Experimental farmers used 88 m2 of bed area, 2 rows and 5 columns of shelf shape, 5 hp refrigerator, 100T of sandwich panel for insulation, 2 ultrasonic humidifiers, 12 kW of heating, and 5,000 bottles for cultivation. Data on parameters such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and illumination, which directly affect mushroom growth, were collected from the environmental sensor part installed at the oyster mushroom cultivator and analyzed. It was found that the initial temperature at the time of granulation was 22°C after the scraping, and the mushroom was produced and maintained at about 25°C until the bottle was flipped. On fruiting body formation, mushrooms were harvested while maintaining the temperature between 13°C and 15°C. Humidity was approximately 100% throughout the growth stage. Carbon dioxide concentration gradually increased until 3 days after the beginning of cultivation, and then increased rapidly to approximately 2,600 ppm. From the 6th day, CO2 concentration was gradually decreased through ventilation and maintained at 1,000 ppm during the harvest. Light was not provided at the initial stage of oyster mushroom cultivation. On the 3rd and 4th day, mushrooms were irradiated by 17 lux light. Subsequently, the light intensity was increased to 115-120 lux as the growth progressed. Fruiting body characteristics of 'Suhan' cultivated in a farmhouse were as follows: Pileus diameter was 30.9 mm and thickness was 4.5 mm; stipe thickness was 11.0 mm and length was 76.0 mm; stipe and pileus hardness was 0.8 g/mm and 2.8 g/mm, respectively; L values of the stipe and pileus were 79.9 and 52.3, respectively. The fruiting body yield was 160.2 g/850 ml, and the individual weight was 12.8 g/10 unit.

To improve the productivity of Pleurotus ostreatus, different conditions of liquid spawn culture were tested. The optimum culture conditions were potato dextrose broth, incubation temperature of 22oC, and pH 6. Fifteen different media (‘A’ to ‘O’) containing 0.3% soybean meal (SM) were prepared by varying sugar and glucose contents. The cultures were propagated in SM media for 14 days, at 22oC, and pH 6. Their absorbances were higher after 14 days of incubation in the media containing both sugar and glucose. In particular, the absorbance of media containing 5 to 20% of glucose alone (‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘F’) tended to increase in the incubation period. Dry cell weight was lower in media containing less than 20% sugar or glucose alone than in media containing 30% sugar (‘A’) or 30% glucose (‘B’) alone. In sawdust media, in 900 mLbottle, the optimum inoculation volume of liquid spawn was 15 to 20 mL. The texture of the mushroom cultivated with the liquid spawn was superior to that cultivated in the solid spawn.

This study aims to investigate the antifungal and protective effects of water- and 70% methyl alcohol-extracts from spent mushroom substrate (WESMS and MeOHSMS) of Lentinula edodes, on Botrytis cinerea- the causative agent for gray mold disease in ginseng. MeOHSMS inhibited mycelial growth and spore germination of Botrytis cinerea, by 75% and 95%, respectively. MeOHSMS could suppress gray mold disease of ginseng seedlings by 80% and effectively reduce the disease severity by 60%. Compared to the treatment of ginseng leaves with WESMS and DL-β-aminobutyric acid (BABA), the MeOHSMS treatment increased the phenolic compounds in the leaves by 36% and 18%, respectively. These results suggest that the SMS extracts suppress gray mold disease in ginseng via dual functions: antifungal activity and increase in a plant defense factor— phenolic compounds.

The button mushroom ‘A. bisporus' is the most commonly grown mushroom worldwide. The color of 'Agaricus bisporus' is white and brown. Recently, the consumption of brown button mushrooms has been increasing steadily. 'Danseok-1ho' was bred using the multi-spore random mating method and named after Danseok Mountain in Gyeongju, the region where 'A. bisporus' was first grown in Korea. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth was between 20°C and 30°C, and the mushroom production temperature was between 15°C and 20°C. The color and shape of 'Danseok-1ho' are medium brown and spherical, respectively. The width and thickness of the pileus are 45.1 mm and 23.5 mm, respectively. The hardness and L of chromaticity of 'Danseok-1ho' are 8,937 g/Φ5 mm and 50.4, respectively. The incubation period is around 20 days and mushroom production takes about 18 days after casing. A typical characteristic of 'Danseok-1ho' is that the individual occurrence rate is high, so mushroom losses are low during harvest.

‘Sootari’, a new variety of oyster mushroom, was bred by mating with monokaryons isolated from ‘Suhan’ and ‘Gonji-7ho’. The optimum temperature for the mycelial growth was 20~25oC on PDA medium and those for the primordia formation and growth of fruiting body of ‘Sootari’ were 16~18oC on sawdust substrate. In bottle cultivation, mycelial growth required about 25 days. In addition, primordia formation and growth of fruiting body required 4 days each. Regarding characteristics of the fruiting body, the shape and color of pileus were round type and black, respectively, and stipe color and shape were white and short and thin, respectively. The yield of fruiting bodies was 131.3±26.0 g per 1,100 mL bottle, which was 2% higher than that of Gonji-7ho.

In order to breed a new Pleurotus eryngii cultivar with a large pileus and convex shape, which are favorite traits of customers from Europe and North America, single crosses between monokaryotic mycelia derived from basidiospores of KNR2555 were performed to yield the new cultivar 2×12 chosen by cap shape (convex), diameter of pileus (60.7 mm), and quality (4.9) in a preliminary cultivation. The strain was named Gat_aeryni and was cultivated on a large scale for comparison with Kenneutari 2 ho at the GNARES and at mushroom farms. The yield of Gat_aeryni (71.7 g) was not significantly different from that of Kenneutari 2 ho (71.4 g), and the quality of the new cultivar was 6.8, which was not significantly different from that of a reference cultivar (6.5). Days for harvest, length, and diameter of the pileus in the two cultivars were statistically different by an independent t-test (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 respectively). The new and reference cultivars were discriminated by PCR reactions with a primer set (URP1 and URP10) and simultaneous cultivation.

A new blackish-brown variety of Flammulina velutipes, ‘Yeoreumhyang2ho,’ which was bred by crossing two monokaryons isolated from the ‘Heukhyang’ and ‘Garlmoe’ varieties, showed adaptability to high temperature. During bottle cultivation, the temperature was maintained at 16°C and the variety displayed good productivity compared to the control (‘Heukhyang’), without necessitating low temperature (4°C) treatment. The period necessary for mycelial and fruit body growth, and primordia formation was 24 days, 8 days, and 8 days, respectively. The total cultivation period was 40 days, which was 3 days shorter than that of the control. Particularly, primordia formation took 2 days less than the control and showed initial uniformity. The yield of ‘Yeoreumhyang2ho’ was 154 g per 850 ml bottle, which was 8% higher than the control yield. The β- glucan content was 67.9 g per 100 g dry weight, which is approximately 1.1–2.2 times the amount of β-glucan in control, the golden and white mushrooms that are available in the market.

‘Yong-A’ was bred by Jeollanamdo Agricultural Research and Extension Services in 2015. It was primarily selected through monospore crossing between JNM21008 and JNM21013 in 2009. The strain is named as JNM-Mi-194 and ‘Yong-A’, showing major characteristics with good production yield. The cultivation characteristics, yield potential, and fruiting body characteristics of ‘Yong-A’ are as follows; The wrinkle of the fruiting body was of branching type its shape was wave type. MCM, YM, Malt, and PDA media were suitable for growth of this cultivar. The number of effective stipes was 13 ea/0.9 kg. The minor axis of pileus was 5 cm and the major axis was 9 cm. The yield was 291 g per plastic bag (0.9 kg). Yong-A required 60 days for mycelial running at 20oC. The growth and primordial period required 24 days, which was shorter than that of JNM-Mi-21002 (the conventional cultivar). Somatic incompatibility was observed between parental lines and Yong-A. Analysis of genetic diversity in the new variety ‘Yong-A’ showed a different profile compared to that of the parent strain when Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA primers were used.

‘Daebak', a new cultivar of Grifola frondosa, was bred by mating two monokaryotic strains isolated from 'F14309' and 'GMGF44062' at the Mushroom Research Institute, Gyonggi-Do ARES in 2017. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth of ‘Daebak’ was 25oC on PDA medium. In bottle cultivation, the culture period of ‘Daebak’ was 57 days, which was 2 days shorter than that of ‘Cham’ (control). The pinheading rate of ‘Daebak’ was 98.4%, which was 24.8% higher than that of ‘Cham’ and its CV (Coefficient of variation) was 0.6%, 5.3% lower than that of ‘Cham’. Regarding the growth characteristics of ‘Daebak’, the diameter and thickness of the pileus were 27.7 mm and 1.73 mm, respectively, and the diameter and height of the fruiting bodies cluster were 132 mm and 87.2 mm, respectively. The pileus was thinner but the fruiting bodies cluster was larger than that of ‘Cham’. Fruiting bodies weighed 139 g per 1,100 ml bottle of ‘Daebak’, which was 28% higher than that for ‘Cham’, with a CV of 2.5%, which was 6.2% lower than that of ‘Cham’. The yield per 10,000 bottles (used for cultivation) of ‘Daebak’ was 1,376 kg, 70% higher than that of ‘Cham’, with a CV of 3.0% that was 11.5% lower than that of ‘Cham’. With respect to physical characteristics, the strength and brittleness of the fruiting body of ‘Daebak’ was less than that of ‘Cham’. When considering the period available for sale, the shelf life of ‘Daebak’ was 42 days, which was 6 days longer than that of ‘Cham’.

This study investigated the proximate composition and total amino acid contents in Tricholoma matsutake and Sarcodon aspratus to compare the food quality according to production area. The crude ash contents in Tricholoma matsutake from Yanji (China), Yangyang (Korea), Tibet (China), and Yunnan (China) were 6.95%, 6.40%, 5.52%, and 5.40%, respectively. Yangyang showed the lowest crude fat content (1.19%), whereas Tibet exhibited the lowest crude protein content (16.83%), showing a difference according to the production area. The total amino acid content of Tricholoma matsutake in Yanji, Yunnan, Tibet, and Yangyang was 11,490.14±892.07 mg%, 8,000.03±207.25 mg%, 6,815.48 mg%, and 6,074.74±814.86 mg%, respectively. The contents of proximate composition and total amino acids in Sarcodon aspratus showed no difference according to production area. The results of proximate composition in Tricholoma matsutake suggest that the crude ash content can be used as a distinguishing indicator between Tricholoma matsutake from Yangyang and Tibet. Further studies are needed to analyze the mineral contents for the establishment of distinguishing mineral indicators between Tricholoma matsutake from Yangyang and Tibet.

This study was carried out to identify medicinal mushrooms with protective effects against oxidative stress in PC12 neuronal cell line, followed by evaluation of their antioxidant property. Extracts of medicinal mushrooms, including Ganoderma lucidum extract (GLE), antler-shaped Ganoderma lingzhi extract (AGLE), Hericium erinaceus extract (HEE), and Sanghuangporus baumii extract (SBE), were screened for cytotoxicity using MTT assay. None of the extracts up to 10 μg/ml concentration affected cell viability. These extracts were further checked for their protective effect against oxidative stress-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Exposure to 50 μM H2O2 induced ROS generation in PC12 cells, which was inhibited only by treatment with AGLE. In addition, inhibition of H2O2-induced ROS generation by AGLE was found to be in a dose-dependent manner (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/ml). Microscopic examination of DCF fluorescence for detection of ROS showed a similar pattern. Further, antioxidant activity of AGLE was determined by ABTS radical cation assay, and its IC50 was found to be 46.90±0.31 μg/ml. Taken together, these results suggest that AGLE may help to alleviate oxidative stress in PC12 neuronal cells.

An auxin-producing bacterium, Klebsiella michiganensis Jopap-1, was isolated from a button mushroom bed in Buyeo-Gun, Chungcheongnam-Do. The strain Jopap-1 was classified as a novel strain of K. michiganensis based on a chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis. The isolated K. michiganensis Jopap-1 was confirmed to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which is one of auxin hormones by TLC and HPLC analyses. The maximum concentration of IAA (96.05 mg L-1) was detected in the culture broth incubated in R2A medium containing 0.1% L-tryptophan for 48 h at 35oC by HPLC quantity analysis. A negative relationship between IAA production and pH variation was estimated to show that the increase of IAA caused acidic pH in the culture. The effect of the supplement on L-tryptophan (precursor of IAA) production was observed to be highest at 0.1% concentration, but was significantly lowered above a concentration of 0.2%. To investigate the growth-promoting effects on the crops, the culture broth of E. michiganensis Jopap-1 was infected to water cultures and seed pots of mung bean and lettuce. Consequently, the adventitious root induction and root growth of mung bean and lettuce were observed to be 2.1 and 1.8 times higher than those of the control.

This study was conducted to reuse spent mushroom substrates (SMS) of Pleurotus ostreatus and improve their nitrogen content by bacterial treatment. Two kinds of bacteria were used to investigate the increase in total nitrogen (T-N) content. Bacillus sp. (GM20-4) was isolated from SMS of oyster mushroom, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RS) was obtained from Gwangju Si Agricultural Technology Center. SMS samples were collected from three oyster mushroom cultivation farms located in Gyeonggi-do province, Korea. When dried SMS was inoculated with 30% culture broth of GM20-4 and RS and incubated at room temperature (25±2oC) for 5 days, T-N content increased. To investigate the T-N content of other SMS, three dried SMS samples (A, B, and C) were treated by the same method using GM20-4 and RS. As a result, the T-N content of sample B was 20% higher than that of the control, whereas the T-N content of samples A and C increased to 17% and 12%, respectively. The change in T-N content by bacterial treatment of wet SMS was slightly higher than that of the control. The changes in amino acid content were also found to be higher than those in the control in all SMS samples by GM20-4 and RS treatment. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid contents were the highest among all amino acid compositions. Especially, the aspartic and glutamic acid contents of sample B increased by 2.9 folds higher than the control.

Arthrographis cuboidea is a wood rot fungus found in soil. It causes disease in repeated cultivation areas of Ganoderma lucidum, which damage the mushroom logs and causes considerable loss of income to mushroom farmers. This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties of soil and characteristics of the growth environment such as the temperature of the Ganoderma lucidum cultivated land. The time required for primordia initiation was 12–13 days. In the chromaticity survey, the degree of redness (a) was 19.5 for vinyl, 20.2 for control, and 19.5 for nonwoven. The yellowness index (b) was 12.7 for vinyl, 13.3 for control, and 12.4 for nonwoven. In the study of growth characteristics, in case of no treatment (control), the length and thickness of the pileus were measured as 145.7 mm and 23.6 mm and those of the stipe were 73.9 mm and 11.5 mm, respectively, and the weight was 130 g. Treatment with non-woven fabric resulted in 157 mm and 93.3 mm long and 22.3 mm and 11.9 mm thick pileus and stipe, respectively, and the weight was 164 g. This result indicates that treatment with non-woven fabric is better than no treatment with respect to Ganoderma lucidum growth.

This study investigated the characteristics of different cultivars of Lentinula edodes in sawdust culture at different cultivation days. Between cultivation days 30-120, the color of ‘Sanjo701ho’ displayed a reduction in L value (brightness) from 83.8±2.5 to 45.7±2.3, values a and b increased, but hardness decreased from 9.4±0.9 g/mm to 2.6±0.2 g/mm. Between cultivation days 30-120, ‘Nongjingo’ displayed a reduction in L value from 86.2±2.1 to 53.4±1.3. Values a and b increased with longer cultivation; however, hardness decreased from 4.8±0.7 g/mm on day 30 to 3.8±1.0 g/mm on day 120. ‘Sanjo701ho’ was first harvested at 46 days after a 30-, 89 days after a 60-, 8 days after a 90- (the shortest), and 9 days after a 120-day cultivation. The average fruit body weight was the highest on day 90 of cultivation, at 48.3 g, when the diameter and thickness of the mushroom cap also appeared highest. However, the colorimetric results showed that fruiting bodies produced in the culture medium for 120 cultivation days showed the most excellent commercial properties. ‘Nongjingo’ was first harvested at 22 days after a 30-, 18 days after a 60-, 8 days after a 90- (the shortest), and 9 days after a 120-day cultivation. Therefore, this study determined that a stable quantity of mushrooms with high commerciality can be produced with 120 cultivation days, considering the shiitake culture and the characteristics of the fruit body.