Anita Klaus

In this study, mycelial biomass production from an isolate obtained from a naturally collected fruiting body morphologically assigned to the genus Morchella was investigated using laboratory-scale submerged liquid fermentation, together with the extraction and characterization of its constituent groups using environmentally friendly extraction methods. Molecular identification was performed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of DNA extracted from the mycelial hyphae. Growth conditions were optimized using an experimental design to evaluate the effects of temperature, pH, and agitation speed on biomass yield. Temperature and agitation speed significantly influenced mycelial production; the response surface model predicted maximum biomass production at 15 °C and 118.8 rpm, whereas pH did not exert a statistically significant effect within the investigated range, and the highest experimentally observed biomass yield was obtained at 15 °C, pH 7.5, and 100 rpm. Dried mycelium was extracted using ultrasound-assisted extraction with water, 50% ethanol, and 96% ethanol as green solvents. The obtained extracts were characterized in terms of total carbohydrates, proteins, and phenolic compounds, while antioxidant activity was assessed using the ABTS radical cation (ABTS^●+) and DPPH radical (DPPH^●) scavenging assays. Water extraction resulted in the highest carbohydrate and total phenolic contents, which corresponded to the highest potential of ABTS^●+ scavenging (EC₅₀ = 1.84 mg/mL) and the highest potential of DPPH^● scavenging (EC₅₀ = 0.39 mg/mL). In contrast, ethanolic extraction produced a lower overall mass yield but showed a distinct extraction profile for the measured compound class. Although the mixed solvent system provided the highest extraction yield, solvent selection influenced both the chemical composition and radical scavenging capacity of the extracts. Considering extraction selectivity and green chemistry principles, ethanol may represent a more suitable solvent option for obtaining extracts with the measured constituent profiles. These findings support further investigation of the Morchella sp. MC1 isolate mycelium produced under controlled submerged conditions as a promising and sustainable source of functional biomolecules with potential applications in food and biotechnology.

The mushroom industry should implement green extraction technologies; however, there is not enough information on the differences between these techniques expressed as the chemical composition of the resulting extract. In this study, selected types of green extraction techniques (GETs) were used on Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) (Fr.) Pilát from Serbia (IS) and Mongolia (IM) to examine the differences that would enable the composition-based technology choices in the mushroom supplement industry. Subcritical water extraction (SWE), microwave-assisted (MW) extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (VAE) were used to prepare the extracts. SWE was performed at two different temperatures (120 and 200 °C), while 96% ethanol, 50% ethanol, and water were used for MW and VAE. The yield, the content of total phenols, total proteins, and carbohydrates, qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, including α- and β- and total glucans, and fatty acids, were determined in the obtained extracts. SWE resulted in a significantly higher yield, total polysaccharide, and glucan content than any other technique. Glucose was the most dominant monosaccharide in the SWE samples, especially those extracted at 200 °C. The MW 50% EtOH extracts showed the highest yield of total phenols. Among the tested phenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid was the most dominant. SWE can be recommended as the most efficient method for extracting commercially important compounds, especially glucans and phenols.

Growing mushrooms means meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Customized strains adapted to local conditions are urgently needed. Before introducing new species to the strain development pipeline, the chemical characterization and biological activity of wild ones need to be assessed. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated including: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO^•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to normal cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping local ecology in mind.

This study aimed to develop a single quality index of Serbian (IS) and Mongolian (IM) Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) extracts obtained by different types of extraction. Microwave-assisted extraction (MW), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (VAE), and supercritical water extraction (SWE) were used to prepare the extracts. Seven quality parameters of a mushroom extract were considered, including the free radical scavenging capability determined by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH?) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS?+) assays, the ability to chelate ferrous ions (Fe2+), as well as the total amount of phenolic compounds, proteins, polysaccharides, and glucans. The mentioned parameters were used to define the total quality index (TQI). Based on TQI scores SWE can be recommended as the most effective type of extraction (favors the yield) of total phenolic compounds (TPC), total extracted proteins (TEP), total polysaccharides (TPS), total glucans (TG), and antioxidant assays. Finally, TQI results for seven quality parameters, derived from six Chaga samples using SWE at 200?C, showed the best overall quality for both the IS and IM extracts.

Growing mushrooms is meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Following the harvest, enormous quantities of spent mushroom substrate containing spores are disposed presenting a type of foreign material pressure on the ecosystem in the form of the loss of genetic diversity in wild mushroom populations. This challenge can be mitigated by bioprospecting local strains and using them to generate commercial inoculum. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) properties. The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to healthy cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping the local ecology in mind.

The composition and anticholinesterase activity of the dried MeOH extracts of Hieracium scheppigianum and H. naegelianum underground parts (rhizomes and roots), as well as the anticholinesterase activity of the dried, previously chemically characterised MeOH extracts of the flowering aerial parts of these two and 26 other Hieracium species in the strict sense (s. str.), were investigated. Furthermore, the anticholinesterase activity of 12 selected secondary metabolites of these extracts was evaluated. Using semi‐preparative LC‐MS, five caffeoylquinic acids and the sesquiterpene lactone crepiside E were isolated from H. scheppigianum underground parts extract. All these compounds were also identified in the underground parts extract of H. naegelianum. Quantitative LC‐MS analysis showed that the analysed underground parts extracts were rich in both caffeoylquinic acids (139.77 and 156.62 mg/g of extract, respectively) and crepiside E (126.88 and 116.58 mg/g). In the Ellman method, the tested extracts showed an interesting anti‐AChE and/or anti‐BChE activity (IC₅₀=0.56–1.58 mg/mL), which can be explained, at least partially, by the presence of some of their constituents. Among the metabolites tested, the best activity was revealed for the flavonoids apigenin, luteolin and diosmetin, and the sesquiterpene lactone 8‐epiixerisamine A (IC₅₀=68.09–299.37 μM).

The problem of microbial biofilms has come to the fore alongside food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industrialization. The development of new antibiofilm products has become urgent, but it includes bioprospecting and is time and money-consuming. Contemporary efforts are directed at the pursuit of effective compounds of natural origin, also known as “green” agents. Mushrooms appear to be a possible new source of antibiofilm compounds, as has been demonstrated recently. The existing modeling methods are directed toward predicting bacterial biofilm formation, not in the presence of antibiofilm materials. Moreover, the modeling is almost exclusively targeted at biofilms in healthcare, while modeling related to the food industry remains under-researched. The present study applied an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to analyze the anti-adhesion and anti-biofilm-forming effects of 40 extracts from 20 mushroom species against two very important food-borne bacterial species for food and food-related industries—Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis. The models developed in this study exhibited high prediction quality, as indicated by high r² values during the training cycle. The best fit between the modeled and measured values was observed for the inhibition of adhesion. This study provides a valuable contribution to the field, supporting industrial settings during the initial stage of biofilm formation, when these communities are the most vulnerable, and promoting innovative and improved safety management.

In 2015, approximately 195 countries agreed with the United Nations that by 2030, they would work to make the world a better place. There would be synergies in accomplishing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Synergy using a single sustainable resource is critical to assist developing nations in achieving the SDGs as cost-effectively and efficiently possible. To use fungal dye resources, we proposed a combination of the zero hunger and affordable energy goals. Dyes are widely used in high-tech sectors, including food and energy. Natural dyes are more environment-friendly than synthetic dyes and may have medicinal benefits. Fungi are a natural source of dye that can be substituted for plants. For example, medicinal mushrooms offer a wide range of safe organic dyes that may be produced instantly, inexpensively, and in large quantities. Meanwhile, medicinal mushroom dyes may provide a less expensive choice for photovoltaic (PV) technology due to their non-toxic and environmentally friendly qualities. This agenda thoroughly explains the significance of pigments from medicinal mushrooms in culinary and solar PV applications. If executed effectively, such a large, unwieldy and ambitious agenda may lead the world towards inclusive and sustainable development.

Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) is considered a high-quality food, rich in proteins and bioactive compounds important for maintaining human health. Lately, a commonly used substrate for oyster mushroom cultivation—wheat straw, is more often replaced by alternative cellulose substrates originated from the agricultural and food industry. Utilization of wastes for mushroom cultivation has its added value: sustainable food waste management, production of high-quality food from low quality waste, as well as solving environmental, economic and global issues. This overview covered three categories of food waste: food-processing wastes, agro-cereal wastes and nut–fruit wastes, the most used for the cultivation P. ostreatus in the period of 2017–2022. Analyzed studies mostly covered the productivity and chemical characterization of the substrate before and after the cultivation process, as well as the morphological characteristics of the fruiting bodies cultivated on a specific substrate. Chemical analyses of mushrooms cultivated on food waste are not adequately covered, which gives room for additional research, considering the influence of substrate type and chemical quality on the fruiting bodies chemical composition.