Abstract

TORRES LOPEZ, Ana María; QUINTERO DIAZ, Juan Carlos  and  ATEHORTUA GARCES, Lucía. Effect of nutrients in the biomass production of the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. Rev. colomb. biotecnol [online]. 2011, vol.13, n.1, pp.103-109. ISSN 0123-3475.

Ganoderma lucidum fungus has some biomass components with beneficial health properties. The knowledge about its nutritionals requirements for growing will favor its industrial production at lower cost. In this work, the effect of C/N ratio, the presence of different carbon, nitrogen and micronutrients sources, on fungal biomass production, were evaluated. Using glucose and peptone as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, an optimal C/N ratio of 16,7:1 was found, for which the maximal biomass production was 25 g/L. Replacing glucose by lactose or barley flour and peptone by yeast extract at the same C/N ratio, the biomass production was enhanced to 35 g/L. With barley flour in the culture medium, the presence of Mg and K salts and thiamine did not turn out into a major increase of biomass. The G. lucidum biomass production is promoted by C/N ratios in the culture medium nearly equivalent to that found in the fungus, as well as the presence of complex substrates as barley flour which, additionally, contributes with important micronutrients along with the carbon source.

Keywords : Barley flour; C/N ratio; micronutrients; carbon sources; nitrogen sources.