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Citric Acid Changes the Fingerprint of Flavonoids and Promotes Their Accumulation in Phellinus igniarius (L.) Quél

Summary

This research shows how adding citric acid to medicinal mushroom cultures can increase their production of beneficial compounds called flavonoids. These compounds have important health benefits including fighting cancer, reducing inflammation, and protecting heart health. The findings could lead to better production of natural medicines. Impacts on everyday life: – More efficient production of natural medicines from mushrooms – Potential for new treatments for common diseases like cancer and heart disease – More affordable access to medicinal mushroom products – Development of enhanced natural health supplements – Advancement in sustainable pharmaceutical production methods

Background

Phellinus igniarius is a valuable medicinal fungus rich in bioactive compounds including flavonoids, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, proteoglycans, triterpenes, and sterols. Flavonoids are considered one of the main medicinal active substances of Phellinus, with effects including tumor growth inhibition, active oxygen removal, blood sugar reduction, and anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. However, due to undeveloped artificial cultivation and slow growth rates, yield and quality can be unstable.

Objective

To investigate whether citric acid treatment could increase flavonoid accumulation in P. igniarius and analyze changes in the fingerprint profiles of flavonoids under citric acid treatment. The study aimed to optimize conditions for citric acid treatment to enhance flavonoid production.

Results

Citric acid treatment significantly increased flavonoid accumulation in P. igniarius in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The optimal conditions were 2.77 mM citric acid treatment for 69.74 hours, which increased flavonoid content to 60.96 mg/g. HPLC analysis showed citric acid treatment increased several key flavonoids: isoquercitrin (111.67% increase), rutin (94.85% increase), narcissoside (88.97% increase), and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (178.76% increase).

Conclusion

Citric acid treatment effectively increased both mycelial biomass and flavonoid content in P. igniarius. The induction led to increased production of specific bioactive flavonoid compounds, enhancing the medicinal potential of P. igniarius. This approach provides a method for developing products with enhanced biological activities.
  • Published in:Life (Basel),
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/life13010068
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