Natural melanin is of great potential value and application in the fields of pharmacology, cosmetics, and functional foods. In the present study, statistically designed experiments were conducted for the optimization of the media to enhance the production of melanin by submerged culture of Auricularia auricula. Glucose, tyrosine, peptone, and CaCO3 were found to have significant effects (P < 0.015) on melanin biosynthesis by a Plackett-Burman experimental design and subsequently optimized using response surface methodology. Optimal media were obtained at the following concentrations: glucose, 0.90 g/L; tyrosine, 6.68 g/L; peptone, 6.99 g/L; and CaCO3, 6.75 g/L. The validity of the optimum media was verified in separate experiments in which the melanin yield of 1008.08 mg/L was obtained under optimum conditions, compared with 306.52 mg/L at other conditions, i.e., a 3.29-fold increase. Furthermore, the important physical and chemical properties of A. auricula melanin were determined. The findings from the present study indicate that large-scale production of natural melanin by submerged culture of A. auricular could be a useful approach.
Ganoderic acid (GA), produced by submerged culture of Ganoderma lucidum, at 500 microg/ml, caused nearly a 70% inhibition of the growth of human hepatoma cell line BEL7402 but not of a normal human liver cell line L02. Flow cytometry analyses showed that GA blocked the BEL7402 cell cycle at the transition from G(1 )to S phase.
Methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol, at 1.5% (v/v), enhanced the growth and polysaccharide production of Ganoderma lucidum. Ethanol was the most effective at 1.5% (v/v) for increasing the biomass production, however, the maximal polysaccharide concentration was produced with 2% (v/v) ethanol in the medium. There was no new polysaccharide component produced by the addition of ethanol.
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