Vesna Lazić

In this study, biopolymer chitosan–glucan from fruiting bodies of Agaricus bisporus (Cs-Agrif) was extracted and characterized as a sustainable alternative to commercial low molecular weight (LMW) chitosan obtained from crab shells (Cs-1). Cs-Agrif was prepared through an alkaline treatment process that included deproteination and deacetylation in the same step. The obtained sample was evaluated for its molecular weight, rheological behavior, degree of deacetylation (DD), crystallinity, and β-glucan and phenolic contents. Furthermore, the antioxidant properties of the prepared chitosan were determined under in vitro conditions using four spectrophotometric methods. Finally, its antimicrobial activity was tested against two pathogenic bacteria, one yeast, and mycotoxigenic fungi. Cs-Agrif had low molecular weight, of 45.70 ± 5.20 kDa, with pseudoplastic flow behavior. The degree of deacetylation was 92.7%. FT-IR and XRD analyses confirmed a chitosan-like structure and lower crystallinity in Cs-Agrif compared to pure commercial chitosan. The mushroom-derived chitosan contained β-glucans and phenols, indicating a chitosan–glucan complex. Antimicrobial assays showed low Cs-Agrif microbicidal concentrations (≤2.5 mg mL⁻¹) for Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. The growth of Aspergillus flavus was significantly reduced after five days of incubation. The laboratory-prepared Cs-Agrif exhibited strong antioxidant activity at 5 mg mL⁻¹, comparing to standards. Mushroom-derived chitosan–glucan biopolymer displays excellent physicochemical, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, confirming its potential use in biomedicine, food, and the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, among many others.

Burn wounds represent a complex clinical challenge, primarily due to their high susceptibility to infections and the frequent formation of the biofilm, which significantly hinder the healing process. Therefore, effective infection prevention and management are critical components of burn wound care. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current and emerging antimicrobial strategies in burn management, with a particular focus on alternative approaches to conventional antiseptics and antibiotics. This manuscript highlights the role of metals and metal-based agents, including silver, zinc oxide, and copper compounds, alongside plant-derived bioactive substances such as aloe vera, marigold, and turmeric. Additionally, the potential of antimicrobial peptides and probiotics as innovative therapeutic options is explored, emphasizing their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and pro-healing properties. Finally, this review presents an analysis of recent patents in the field of burn wound care, offering insights into current trends and future directions in the development of advanced wound dressings. By addressing both established and novel strategies, this review aims to provide a valuable resource for clinicians, researchers, and innovators seeking to improve outcomes in burn wound management.

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 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.