Three bioactive fractions, extracellular laccase (ex-LAC), crude endopolysaccharides (c-EPL), and a low molecular subfraction of secondary metabolites (ex-LMS), were isolated from the idiophasic cultures of the white rot fungus Cerrena unicolor. For the first time, we determined the antioxidant properties of these samples by chemiluminometric measurement (a) and assessment of the scavenging effect on ABTS (b) and the DPPH reduction rate (c). The highest reducing capability was found for the ex-LMS fraction: 39–90% for (a), 20–90% for (b), and 10–59% for (c) at the concentration of 6.25–800 µg/mL. The scavenging abilities of the C. unicolor c-EPL were between 36 and 70% for (a), 2 and 60% for (b), and 28 and 32% for (c) at the concentration of 6.25–800 µg/mL. A very high prooxidative potential was observed for the ex-LAC probes. The preliminary toxicity tests were done using the Microtox system and revealed the following percentage of the toxic effect against Vibrio fischeri: 85.37% for c-EPL, 50.67% for ex-LAC, and 99.8% for ex-LMS, respectively. The ex-LAC sample showed the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, c-EPL against Staphylococcus aureus, and ex-LMS against both bacterial strains, respectively, but the stronger inhibitory effect was exerted on S. aureus.

Fungal polysaccharides (PSs) are the subject of research in many fields of science and industry. Many properties of PSs have already been confirmed and the list of postulated functions continues to grow. Fungal PSs are classified into different groups according to systematic affinity, structure (linear and branched), sugar composition (homo- and heteropolysaccharides), type of bonds between the monomers (β-(1 → 3), β-(1 → 6), and α-(1 → 3)) and their location in the cell (cell wall PSs, exoPSs, and endoPSs). Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are most frequently studied fungal PSs but their definition, classification, and origin are still not clear and should be explained. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi producing EPS have different ecological positions (saprotrophic and endophytic, pathogenic or symbiotic-mycorrhizae fungi); therefore, EPSs play different biological functions, for example in the protection against environmental stress factors and in interactions with other organisms. EPSs obtained from Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungal cultures are known for their antioxidant, immunostimulating, antitumor, and antimicrobial properties. The major objective of the presented review article was to provide a detailed description of the state-of-the-art knowledge of the effectiveness of EPS production by filamentous and yeast Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi and techniques of derivation of EPSs, their biochemical characteristics, and biological properties allowing comprehensive analysis as well as indication of similarities and differences between these fungal groups. Understanding the role of EPSs in a variety of processes and their application in food or pharmaceutical industries requires improvement of the techniques of their derivation, purification, and characterization. The detailed analyses of data concerning the derivation and application of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota EPSs can facilitate development and trace the direction of application of these EPSs in different branches of industry, agriculture, and medicine.

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The aim of this study is to investigate in vitro the anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of three low molecular weight subfractions I, II and III isolated from secondary metabolites produced by the wood degrading fungus Cerrena unicolor. The present study demonstrated that the low molecular weight subfractions III exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity towards breast carcinoma cells MDA-MB-231, prostatic carcinoma cells PC3, and breast cancer cells MCF7 with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 52,25 μg/mL, 60,66 μg/mL, and 54,92 μg/mL, respectively. The highest percentage of inhibition was noted at a concentration of 300 μg/mL in all the examined tumor lines. A significant percentage (59.08%) of ex-LMSIII inhibition of the MDA-MB-231 tumor line was reached at a concentration of 15 μg/ml, while the concentration applied did not affect normal human fibroblast cells. The low molecular weight subfraction III was the most effective and additionally showed the highest free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl scavenging activity (IC50 20.39 μg/mL) followed by the low molecular weight subfraction I (IC50 64.14 μg/mL) and II (IC50 49.22 μg/mL). The antibacterial activity of the tested preparations was evaluated against three microorganisms: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for the low molecular weight subfraction I, II, and III showed a stronger inhibition effect on S. aureus than on B. subtilis and E. coli cells. The MIC values for the low molecular weight subfraction II against S. aureus, B. subtilis, and E. coli were 6.25, 12.5, and 100 mg/mL, respectively.

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-We describe how protease and protease inhibitor activity patterns vary during ontogenesis, with season, and in relation to caste and sex in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Extraction of body surfaces with water and detergent was followed by the in vitro analysis of proteolytic activity and protease inhibitor level, as well as the electrophoretic separation of extracts in polyacrylamide gels. In in vitro experiments, we compared two groups of detectable proteolytic activities: neutral and alkaline water-soluble versus acidic detergent-soluble. The most active proteases appeared to be acidic ones and were detected on drone pupae in spring. The most distinct and most active protease bands in electrophoretic separations were those obtained for neutral and alkaline activities on queens in all seasons. The highest levels of protease inhibitor activities in vitro were obtained from worker samples in all seasons. The enzymatic properties suggest that all catalytic types of proteases were present in the extracts, but at different activity levels, depending on pH: asparagine and cysteine proteases at pH 2.5, cysteine proteases and metalloproteases at pH 7.0, and serine proteases at pH 11.5, respectively. honey bee / proteases / protease inhibitors / body surface proteolysis / zymography

A new exopolysaccharide preparation isolated from stationary cultures of the white rot fungus Ganoderma applanatum (GpEPS) was tested in terms of its bioactive properties including its cytotoxic and immunostimulatory effect. The results indicate that the tested GpEPS (at concentrations above 22.85 µg/mL and 228.5 µg/mL) may exhibit selective activity against tumor cells (cell lines SiHa) and stimulate production of TNF-α THP-1-derived macrophages at the level of 752.17 pg/mL. The GpEPS showed antibacterial properties against Staphyloccoccus aureus and a toxic effect against Vibrio fischeri cells (82.8% cell damage). High cholesterol-binding capacity and triglycerides-binding capacity (57.9% and 41.6% after 24 h of incubation with the tested substances, resp.) were also detected for the investigated samples of GpEPS.

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