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Long-term Cryopreservation of Basidiomycetes

Summary

This research reviews methods for long-term preservation of important mushroom species using ultra-cold storage (cryopreservation). This is crucial for maintaining valuable fungal resources for future use in medicine, food production, and environmental applications. Impact on everyday life: – Helps preserve mushroom species used in medicine and food production – Enables continued research on mushrooms with cancer-fighting properties – Supports development of new pharmaceutical products from fungi – Maintains fungal strains used in environmental cleanup – Ensures availability of commercial mushroom varieties for food industry

Background

Basidiomycetes have several biotechnological and industrial applications such as enzyme production, bioremediation, pharmaceutical and functional food production. Due to climatic features, the preservation of several basidiomycetes is threatened, and to guarantee the preservation of this genetic resource, the development of long-term preservation techniques is necessary as there is no universal protocol for cryopreservation of basidiomycetes.

Objective

This study aimed to collect and analyze information on the main conditions for long-term cryopreservation of basidiomycetes from scientific articles published in the last 20 years (1997-2016).

Results

The most studied genera were Agaricus, Pleurotus and Ganoderma. Cryopreservation at -70°C to -86°C and -196°C showed better results than -20°C. Perlite-based, sawdust-based and cereal grain substrates were most effective. Glycerol was the most effective cryoprotectant, followed by sucrose and glucose. Cryopreservation beyond 5 years remains challenging. Culture media and recovery conditions are still understudied.

Conclusion

There is no universal cryopreservation protocol for basidiomycetes. Each species requires specific optimization. Glycerol is the most effective cryoprotectant, while temperatures below -70°C provide better preservation. Mycelial viability remains the main measure of preservation success, though genetic and physiological stability are also important parameters. Long-term preservation beyond 5 years needs further research.
  • Published in:Brazilian Journal of Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1016/j.bjm.2017.08.004
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