Search Results (32)

Volvariella volvacea, a fungal species of Volvariella within the Pluteaceae family, is predominantly cultivated in southern China. Polysaccharides, the primary bioactive constituents of V. volvacea, exhibit diverse pharmacological activities. However, current cultivation practices face challenges due to the genetic heterogeneity of strains, leading to inconsistent content and compositional variability of polysaccharides and other functional components. ARTP, denoting atmospheric and room-temperature plasma, is a technology capable of generating plasma jets at ambient pressure with temperatures ranging from 25 to 40 °C. These jets feature high concentrations of highly reactive species, including but not limited to excited-state helium atoms, oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms, and OH radicals. This study aims to develop high-yielding exopolysaccharide (EPS) strains through integrated ARTP mutagenesis and genome shuffling, thereby overcoming current cultivation bottlenecks. ARTP mutagenesis and genome shuffling significantly boosted EPS production in V. volvacea. ARTP generated nine stable mutants with >20% higher EPS yields. Subsequent genome shuffling (three rounds of protoplast fusion) produced the hybrid strain SL212, which achieved 46.85 g/L of EPS, an 111.67% increase over that of the parent strain under identical conditions. Metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses revealed that differential metabolites and genes were mainly enriched in galactose metabolism, ABC transporter pathways, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. These pathways enhance monosaccharide biosynthesis and generate ATP, providing both precursors and energy for polysaccharide polymerization, thereby driving EPS overproduction. Preliminary mechanistic analysis identified the key contributing factors driving the elevated polysaccharide biosynthesis. Full article

Cotton waste, a growth medium for Volvariella volvacea, has significant commercial and nutritional value. Under controlled environmental conditions, substrate nutrient composition and microorganisms affect the growth of V. volvacea. In this study, the changes in the nutrient content of the substrate at different stages of fruiting body development were compared based on an 86% waste cotton substrate, and microbial diversity was studied via 16S rRNA analysis. The results indicated that there were significant differences in nutrient content in the substrate at different stages of fruiting body development. The total contents of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus initially increased but then decreased due to nutrient absorption and utilization by V. volvacea. It was also found that large amounts of organic nitrogen decomposed into more readily utilizable inorganic nitrogen. The nutritional content and microbial community structure of the substrate during the egg stage significantly differed from those during the other four stages, making the egg stage the most critical period in cultivation. Through correlation analysis between nutrient content and microbial differences, it was found that differential microbial taxa (Beijerinckiaceae, Burkholderiales, Chitinophaga jiangningensis, etc.) with nitrogen fixation, denitrification, and cellulose decomposition functions were significantly related to carbon- and nitrogen-related indicators such as nitrate nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen. These microorganisms play important roles in determining the variation in the nutritional profile of the substrate. This study provides a theoretical basis for promoting the absorption and utilization of nutrients by V. volvacea by altering the structure of the microbial community of the growth substrate. Full article

Volvariella volvacea endoglucanase EG1 was used to treat bleached softwood kraft pulp (BSKP) and hardwood pulp (BHKP) to improve the refinability and physical strength, as well as to reduce vessel picking in Eucalyptus pulp. The results indicated that BSKP was treated with an enzyme dosage of 3 U/g for 2 h at 12,000 refining revolutions, which increased the tensile index from 71.4 N·m/g to 86.7 N·m/g. For BHKP, treatment with 10 U/g of EG1 for 2 h at 15,000 refining revolutions improved the tensile index from the control of 47.7 N·m/g to 56.9 N·m/g. Vessel-removed and vessel-enriched fractions of Eucalyptus pulp were obtained by screening and treated with EG1, respectively. It was found that EG1-assisted refining increased the physical strength and surface strength of both pulp fractions, and the latter improved even more, with increases of 22.4% and 160%, respectively. Full article

This study investigated the hepatoprotective mechanisms of Volvariella volvacea fruiting body polypeptide (VVFP, 1–3 kDa) against acute alcohol-induced liver injury using multi-omics approaches. Male ICR mice pretreated with VVFP (100–400 mg/kg) showed significantly prolonged alcohol tolerance latency (p < 0.05) and accelerated sobriety recovery compared to controls. Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics revealed VVFP’s dual regulatory effects: (1) transcriptional regulation of 36 endoplasmic reticulum stress genes (e.g., ERP57, Derl) through protein processing pathways (KEGG:04141), and (2) metabolic modulation of 23 hepatic metabolites, particularly phosphatidylcholines and organic acids, via amino acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Cross-omics analysis identified eight coregulated genes (Got1, Arg2, Srm, etc.) interacting with key metabolites (4-guanidinobutyric acid, GABA) through linoleic acid metabolism. These findings demonstrate VVFP’s therapeutic potential as a functional food ingredient by highlighting its ability to simultaneously target hepatic stress responses and metabolic homeostasis during alcohol detoxification. Full article

The growing consumption of Volvariella volvacea has heightened concerns regarding its geographical authenticity. This study analyzed the proteins, 16 common amino acids, and 10 mineral elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Mg, Na, Se, Sr, Zn) in samples from Fujian, Guangdong, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shanghai, and Zhejiang, China, along with regional variations in stable isotope ratios. PCA and PLS-DA were applied for origin authentication. The results showed an average protein content of approximately 30 g/100 g (dry basis), with Guangdong samples being the highest. Amino acids exhibited significant regional differences, but the total essential amino acid and total amino acid contents did not. Mineral elements varied significantly by region, except for Cu and K. The Fujian, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang samples exhibited significantly higher δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values, while Shanghai samples had significantly higher δ²H and δ¹⁸O values. These differences enabled PCA to classify the samples into two groups: FHJZ (Fujian, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang) and GJS (Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai). The PLS-DA model achieved 93.60% accuracy in distinguishing these two groups. Pairwise accuracy within the GJS group exceeded 80%, whereas that within the FHJZ group requires further improvement. These findings support the feasibility of stable isotope analysis for authenticating the geographical origin of Volvariella volvacea. Full article

A novel protease was isolated from the fruiting bodies of the straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea. The protease was purified 13.48-fold using a series of techniques, including ammonium sulfate precipitation, ultrafiltration, diethylaminoethyl fast-flow (DEAE FF) ion-exchange chromatography, and Superdex 75 gel filtration chromatography, resulting in a specific enzyme activity of 286.82 U/mg toward casein as a substrate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed that the purified protease had a molecular weight of 24 kDa. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity at pH 7 and 50 °C, showing sensitivity to alkaline conditions and instability at elevated temperatures. The presence of Ca²⁺ significantly enhanced enzyme activity, whereas Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ exerted strong inhibitory effects, with other metal ions showing weak inhibition. β-mercaptoethanol, Tween-80, and Triton X-100 had more pronounced inhibitory effects, whereas PMSF, EDTA, and CTAB had weaker inhibitory effects. The Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vm) of the protease were determined to be 1.34 g/L and 3.45 μg/(mL·min), respectively. The protease exhibited a greater degree of enzymatic degradation of soybean-isolate protein (7.58%) compared to trypsin (5.24%), with the enzyme product containing a high percentage of medicinal amino acids (73.54%), particularly phenylalanine (Phe) and arginine (Arg), suggesting their presence at the enzyme’s active site. These findings suggest that the protease from V. volvacea holds promising potential for applications in the food industry, particularly in protein hydrolysate production and flavor enhancement. Full article

Volvariella volvacea was grown on cottonseed hull waste compost and divided into high-yield (HBE) and low-yield (LBE) conditions. Gene sequencing was used to examine bacterial and fungal populations during cottonseed husk waste composting. At the end of fermentation, the dominant bacterial genera in the HBE compost were Chelatococcus and Thermobacillus, while Symbiobacterium and Acinetobacter were more abundant in the LBE compost. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota dominated all the composting phases. The Ascomycota genera Colletotrichum, Pichia, Mycothermus, and Thermomyces dominated in phase II of HBE composting. The LBE compost had higher abundances of the Basidiomycota genera Cystofilobasidium and Cryptococcus than the HBE compost. The predicted pathotroph and saprotroph-symbiotroph abundances were more positively linked to HBE composting phase II than to LBE composting. High-biological-efficiency microbial communities are characterized by high pH, carbon, and nitrogen levels. Changes in physiochemical traits, microbial diversity, and metabolism affect the V. volvacea yield. Full article

Periodic mycelial subculture is a method commonly used for the storage of edible mushrooms, but excessive subculturing can lead to the degeneration of strains. In this study, the Volvariella volvacea strain V971(M0) was successively subcultured on PDA medium every 4 days, and one generation of strains was preserved every 4 months. Thus, five generations of subcultured strains (M1–M5) were obtained after 20 months of mycelial subculturing, their production traits were determined, and transcriptomic analysis was performed using RNA-seq; the differentially expressed genes were verified via RT-qPCR. The results showed that as the number of subcultures increased, the diameter of the mycelium and biological efficiency gradually decreased; in addition, the time in which the primordium formed increased and the production cycle was lengthened, while strains M4 and M5 lacked the ability to produce fruiting bodies. There were 245 differentially expressed genes between the M1–M5 and M0 strains, while the highest number of differentially expressed genes was between M3 and M0, at 1439; the smallest number of differentially expressed genes was between M2 and M0, at 959. GO enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in metabolic processes, organelle components, and catalytic activities. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways. The further annotation of differentially expressed genes showed that 39, 24, and 24 differentially expressed genes were related to substrate degradation, amino acid synthesis and metabolism, and reactive oxygen species metabolism, respectively. The downregulation of the related differentially expressed genes would lead to the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species, inhibit nutrient absorption and energy acquisition, and lead to the degradation of V. volvacea. These findings could form a theoretical basis for the degeneration mechanism of V. volvacea, and also provide a basis for the molecular function study of the genes related to strain degradation. Full article

Manganese is one of the trace elements necessary for organisms to maintain normal biological activities and is also a cofactor for manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). In order to find a simple and effective method to rejuvenate the degenerated V. volvacea strains, we explored the effect of the exogenous addition of MnSO₄ on the antioxidant vigour and productivity of degenerated strains of V. volvacea. The results showed that the exogenous MnSO₄ had no significant effect on the non-degenerated strain T0, but it could effectively increase the mycelial growth rate, mycelial biomass, and LBL decolouring ability of the degenerated strains T10 and T19, and reduce the production cycle and increased the biological efficiency of T10; it helped the severely degenerated T19 to regrow its fruiting body; and it also significantly increased the viability of the matrix-degrading enzymes such as EG, Lac, Xyl, etc. of T10 and T19. Meanwhile, exogenous MnSO₄ significantly increased the activity of GPX, GR, CAT, SOD, and the content of GSH, polyphenols, minerals, and polysaccharides in T10 and T19 strains, which resulted in a significant decrease in the accumulation of ROS, such as O₂⁻ and H₂O₂ in T10 and T19. The correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between antioxidant activity and the production ability of V. volvacea. This study can provide theoretical reference and technical support for the rejuvenation research of degenerated strains of V. volvacea and other edible fungi. Full article

For centuries, mushrooms have been used as a component of skincare formulations. Environmental stresses and a modern lifestyle expose the skin to accelerated aging. To slow down this process, natural anti-aging skincare ingredients are being sought. In this review, 52 scientific publications about the effects of chemical compounds extracted from the fruiting bodies of macrofungi on skin cells were selected. The effects of extracts from nine species that are tested for anti-aging effects have been described. According to available literature data, macrofungi contain many polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, polysaccharide peptides, free amino acids, sterols, proteins, glycosides, triterpenes, alkaloids, which can have an anti-aging effect on the skin by acting as antioxidants, photoprotective, skin whitening, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and stabilizing collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels in the skin. Full article

Serine is a functional amino acid that effectively regulates the physiological functions of an organism. This study investigates the effects of adding exogenous serine to a culture medium to explore a feasible method for the rejuvenation of V. volvacea degenerated strains. The tissue isolation subcultured strains T6, T12, and T19 of V. volvacea were used as test strains, and the commercially cultivated strain V844 (T0) was used as a control. The results revealed that the addition of serine had no significant effect on non-degenerated strains T0 and T6, but could effectively restore the production characteristics of degenerated strains T12 and T19. Serine increased the biological efficiency of T12 and even helped the severely degenerated T19 to regrow its fruiting body. Moreover, exogenous serine up-regulated the expression of some antioxidant enzyme genes, improved antioxidase activity, reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and restored mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and mitochondrial morphology. Meanwhile, serine treatment increased lignocellulase and mycelial energy levels. These findings form a theoretical basis and technical support for the rejuvenation of V. volvacea degenerated strains and other edible fungi. Full article

As one of the most nutritious and delicious mushroom varieties, Volvariella volvacea has always been popular among people around the world. Different from other artificially cultivated mushrooms, Volvariella volvacea is mostly planted on non-sterile substrates. As the cultivation time increases, the yield of mushroom houses continues to decrease. In our experiment, we selected two groups of samples from the old and new mushroom houses, environmental samples and substrate samples. The results showed that the diversity and abundance of microorganisms in the culture environment of the old mushroom room were consistent with that of the new mushroom room, but the proportion of actinomycetes in the former was significantly higher than that of the new mushroom room. The metabolic activity of microorganisms in the old mushroom room was enhanced compared with the new mushroom room. The microbial diversity in the growth substrate was investigated, and it was found that the structure and diversity of the microbial community in the substrate had changed. In conclusion, the interplay between mushrooms, the culture environment, and the host bacterial community may be the cause of the changes in the yield of Volvariella volvacea. Full article

The chemical structures and functional properties of plant-based polysaccharides are critically influenced by extractive solvents, but their roles are not clear. In this study, the structural characteristics and multiple bioactivities of Volvariella volvacea polysaccharides (VVPs) subjected to water (VVP-W), alkalis (sodium hydroxide, VVP-A), and acids (citric acid, VVP-C) as extractive solvents are investigated systematically. Of the above three polysaccharides, VVP-W exhibited the highest molecular weights, apparent viscosity, and viscoelastic properties. Functional analyses revealed that VVP-C had an excellent water-holding capacity, foaming properties, and emulsifying capacity, while VVP-A exhibited a promising oil-holding capacity. Moreover, VVP-C displayed strong inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase, which could be attributed to its content of total phenolics, proteins, and molecular weights. These findings have important implications for selecting the appropriate extraction techniques to obtain functional polysaccharides with targeted bioactive properties as food additives. Full article

The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) pathway that synthesizes ethylene is shared in seed plants, fungi and probably other organisms. However, the evolutionary relationship of the key enzyme ACC oxidase (ACO) in the pathway among organisms remains unknown. Herein, we cloned, expressed and characterized five ACOs from the straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) and the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus): VvACO1-4 and PoACO. The five mushroom ACOs and the previously identified AbACO of the button mushroom contained all three conserved residues that bound to Fe(II) in plant ACOs. They also had variable residues that were conserved and bound to ascorbate and bicarbonate in plant ACOs and harbored only 1–2 of the five conserved ACO motifs in plant ACOs. Particularly, VvACO2 and AbACO had only one ACO motif 2. Additionally, VvACO4 shared 44.23% sequence identity with the cyanobacterium Hapalosiphon putative functional ACO. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the functional ACOs of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants co-occurred in Type I, Type II and Type III, while putative functional gymnosperm ACOs also appeared in Type III. The putative functional bacterial ACO, functional fungi and slime mold ACOs were clustered in ancestral Type IV. These results indicate that ACO motif 2, ACC and Fe(II) are essential for ACO activity. The ACOs of the other organisms may come from the horizontal transfer of fungal ACOs, which were found ordinarily in basidiomycetes. It is mostly the first case for the horizontal gene transfers from fungi to seed plants. The horizontal transfer of ACOs from fungi to plants probably facilitates the fungal-plant symbioses, plant–land colonization and further evolution to form seeds. Full article

Solid-state fermentation with white-rot fungi is an interesting alternative to chemical straw treatment for ruminant nutrition. However, for practical implementation on farms, feasible handling and its effect on nutritional characteristics have to be tested beforehand. Chopped wheat straw was either soaked and drained or just remoistened to about 24% dry matter without subsequent sterilization. Moist straw was inoculated with Pleurotus ostreatus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, or Volvariella volvacea. Fermentation lasted up to 42 d with weekly or shorter sampling intervals. Fiber fractions, minerals and elements, and non-starch polysaccharides were analyzed, and microflora was plate counted. Lactic acid bacteria of selected samples were identified by MALDI-TOF. All inoculated fungi grew well under the selected conditions expressed by the visible mycelium and specific smell. P. ostreatus developed fruiting bodies in the given time. Initial numbers of lactic acid bacteria were >8.0 log cfu/g. In the beginning, Weissella confusa/cibaria dominated. However, neither decrease in lignin nor cellulose concentration was observed during the period in either of the treatments, thus seeming to be inappropriate for ruminant nutrition purposes. Some elements and minerals peaked, especially towards the second and third week (Na, Cl, Mg, Fe, and Mn). Growth conditions for mushrooms were optimized by remoistening the straw with a defined amount of water. Full article