Revitalization of the Endophytic Fungus Acremonium sp. MEP2000 and Its Impact on the Growth and Accumulation of Bioactive Compounds in Inonotus obliquus

Author: mycolabadmin
2/13/2025
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Summary

Researchers successfully revived a beneficial fungus called Acremonium sp. MEP2000 that had lost its effectiveness through repeated cultivation by adding birch bark powder and medicinal mushroom powder to its growth medium. When used to treat the medicinal fungus Inonotus obliquus (chaga), this revitalized fungal culture dramatically improved the growth and production of healthy bioactive compounds like polysaccharides and triterpenoids. This breakthrough offers a practical solution for large-scale production of medicinal fungi with enhanced therapeutic potential for treating cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions.

Background

Inonotus obliquus is a medicinal and edible fungus with significant pharmaceutical value, but wild resources are depleted and artificial cultivation grows slowly with lower bioactive compound content. Endophytic fungi isolated from I. obliquus can enhance host growth and bioactive compound production. The endophytic fungus Acremonium sp. MEP2000 previously isolated showed promise but gradually lost activity through successive subcultures.

Objective

To revitalize the declining endophytic fungus Acremonium sp. MEP2000 through modified culture media and evaluate the impact of rejuvenated MEP2000 fermentation broth on I. obliquus growth and bioactive compound accumulation. The study tested whether supplementing PDA medium with birch bark powder, I. obliquus fruiting body powder, or a combination of both could restore MEP2000 activity.

Results

The H&Z medium proved most effective for MEP2000 rejuvenation, producing the fastest mycelial growth and most uniform colony morphology. H&Z fermentation broth inducer showed the strongest effects on I. obliquus, achieving 1.58-1.38 times higher mycelial biomass than control at 6-12 days. Polysaccharide content was highest in H&Z treatment (205.08 mg/g at day 6), and GC-MS identified 19 triterpenoids with inotodiol reaching 3.88 times control levels in H&Z group.

Conclusion

The revitalized MEP2000 cultured on H&Z medium effectively restored growth-promoting capacity and enhanced I. obliquus mycelial growth and bioactive compound production. RT-qPCR confirmed upregulation of polysaccharide synthesis genes. These findings provide a valuable approach for overcoming strain degradation and improving yields in large-scale production of endophytic fungi for medicinal applications.

Published in:Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology,
Study Type:Experimental Laboratory Study,
Source: PMID: 39947685, DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2410.10037