Mycelium vs. Fruiting Bodies of Edible Fungi—A Comparison of Metabolites

Abstract

Edible mushrooms are widely appreciated for their appealing flavours, low caloric values and high content of presumably health-protecting metabolites. Their long history of safe use together with the looming worldwide food crisis have revived the idea of generating meat analogues and protein isolates by the controlled fermentation of mycelia of these edible fungi as a dietary option. The occurrence of proteins, polysaccharides, smaller metabolites, metal ions and toxins in mycelia and fruiting bodies is compared among the three most popular species, Agaricus bisporus (button mushroom), Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom), Lentinus edodes (shiitake) and some closely related species. Large effects of substrate chemistry, strain, developmental stage and ecological interactions result in a wide variation of the concentrations of some metabolites in both mycelial cells and fruiting bodies. This is obviously a result of the high adaptation abilities required to survive in natural habitats. Fungal bioprocesses are decoupled from agricultural production and can be operated anytime, anywhere, and on any scale according to demand. It is concluded that fungal biomass, if produced under food-grade conditions and on an industrial scale, could provide a safe and nutritious meat substitute and protein isolates with a high biological value for future vegan foods.

Bioactive Metabolites from the Fruiting Body and Mycelia of Newly-Isolated Oyster Mushroom and Their Effect on Smooth Muscle Contractile Activity

“…It belongs to phylum Basidiomycota , order Agaricales , family Pleurotaceas . Most often, solid-state cultivation is used for fruiting body formation by P. ostreatus using lignocellulosic side-streams from the agro-industrial production of food as a substrate [ 1 ]. Depending on the used substrate, the fruiting body formation of P. ostreatus could take up to 20–25 days [ 2 ].…”

Protection of Allergic Asthma in Mice by Black Rice Bran Bioprocessed with Shiitake Mushroom Mycelia

“…We previously reported that mushroom polysaccharides have the potential to help protect against multiple diseases [8] [9] [18]. Also relevant is that the composition of bioactive compounds in mushroom fruit bodies differs from those in mycelia of the same variety [19]. In addition, BRB-F-S induced a strong Th1 response, especially phagocytosis and phagocytic removal by the polysaccharide contained in BRB-F-S, suggesting that it is capable of inducing the rapid termination of an inflammatory response by inflammation-inducing compounds through phagocytosis.…”

Heterogeneous Distribution of Phospholipid Molecular Species in the Surface Culture of Flammulina velutipes: New Facts about Lipids Containing α-Linolenic Fatty Acid

“…The heterogeneity of transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome of the fungal colony is caused mainly by the differences in nutritional and micro-environmental conditions [ 4 , 7 ]. Cell differentiation and aging processes, septal plugging of apical hyphal segments by Woronin bodies as well as oscillations of signaling molecules are considered to be possible mechanisms determining hyphal and zonal heterogeneity [ 1 , 2 , 4 ].…”