Current Biological Knowledge, Applications, and Potential Use of the Desert Shaggy Mane Mushroom Podaxis pistillaris (Agaricomycetes): A Review

Podaxis pistillaris, an abundant gasteroid mushroom, has become an important biological element in arid and semiarid communities worldwide. This mushroom possesses cosmetic, edible, and medicinal attributes, playing a crucial role in communities in countries such as Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Mexico. Proximate studies highlight the nutritional richness of P. pistillaris, characterized by high protein content and essential bioelements such as K, P, and Mg. Furthermore, P. pistillaris is integral to the traditional medicine of indigenous communities in America, Asia, and Africa, where it is revered for its purported wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and coagulant properties. In the case of Mexico, the Seri community uses and markets P. pistillaris in various forms, including ointments and, within the region, its spores. Chemical analysis of this species reveals notable compounds, including epicorazines A-C exhibiting antimicrobial properties, along with polysaccharides such as β-glucans, and a recently identified ergosterol derivative named podaxisterol. Despite its importance, the chemical characterization and assessment of the biological activity of its compounds have been largely understudied. Consequently, there are currently no wound-healing products on the market derived from fungi, as the majority originate from plant sources. This work aims to present the essential aspects of P. pistillaris's ethnobiological use, medicinal properties, bioactive compounds, and biotechnological applications. In addition, it underscores the overlooked status of P. pistillaris among fungi inhabiting arid areas, emphasizing its potential as a valuable subject for further research.

Biological Activity of Ganoderma Species (Agaricomycetes) from Sonoran Desert, Mexico

Ganoderma species have been used in folk medicine against different illnesses and are characterized by producing a diversity of bioactive metabolites (triterpenoids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, and phenols) with numerous medicinal effects (anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial). This work aims to evaluate ethanolic extracts of fruiting bodies of Ganoderma oerstedii, G. weberianum, and G. subincrustatum strains from the Sonoran Desert in the anti-proliferative activity by the MTT assay on cancer cell lines; anti-inflammatory effect by quantifying nitric oxide (NO) production; antioxidant activity by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays; total phenolic and flavonoid content by Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl3 method, respectively; antibacterial activity by the broth microdilution method against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Extracts showed anti-proliferative activity with IC50 < 100 µg/mL on the cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, A549, and HeLa, except G. subincrustatum extract with an IC50 > 100 µg/mL; anti-proliferative activity was not selective, being affected non-cancerous cell line ARPE-19. Extracts showed significant inhibition of NO release in cells stimulated by LPS, up to 60% with G. subincrustatum and G. oerstedii, and 47% with G. weberianum. All tested assays showed moderate antioxidant potential; the most active was G. lucium (control strain) with IC50 of 69 and 30 µg/mL by DPPH and ABTS respectively; and 271 µg Trolox equivalents/g by FRAP. Total phenols and flavonoids ranged from 38 to 56 mg GAE/g and 0.53 to 0.93 mg QE/g, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the antioxidant activities revealed by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP with total phenol and flavonoid contents. Antibacterial activity was weak against S. aureus (MIC50 > 10 mg/mL). These results demonstrate that tested Ganoderma mushrooms have medicinal potential such as anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative.

Traditional knowledge of medicinal mushrooms and lichens of Yuman peoples in Northern Mexico

BACKGROUND

Mushrooms and lichens are natural therapeutic resources whose millenary importance persists in indigenous and mestizo communities of Mexico. However, in this regard, in the northern part of the country there are few ethnobiological explorations. This study investigates the local knowledge of medicinal mushrooms and lichens used by Yuman peoples, whose native speakers are in imminent danger of extinction along with their biocultural heritage due to changes in their traditional primary activities and the usurpation of their ancestral lands.

METHODS

Ethnographic techniques in the field and standard lichenological and mycological methods in the laboratory were used.

RESULTS

Information was obtained on the medicinal use of 20 species, of which six are lichens of the genus Xanthoparmelia and 14 are non-lichenized fungi, mainly gasteroids. The latter are primarily used to treat skin lesions, while lichens are used in heart, urinary, and gastrointestinal diseases. The transmission of this local knowledge to future generations is discussed, as well as the intercultural cognitive convergence about the uses of medicinal mushrooms and lichens.

CONCLUSIONS

The Yuman peoples preserve knowledge, practices and beliefs around mushrooms and lichens. Although increasingly less used, they still form part of their culinary and traditional medicine; even some are also used as ludic and ornamental purposes, and as trail markers. Beyond the pragmatic importance of these organisms, traditional knowledge about them is an essential part of the cultural identity that the Yuman peoples strive to preserve.

Functional plasticity of Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum through multiple traits

The diversity of functional traits still has not been studied enough in model plant species, even less so in little-known species. This experiment was carried out under the extreme heat of Sonoran Desert, using shading nets and under conditions where the availability of water and nutrients was not a stress factor. We evaluated how the low, intermediate and high sunlight regimes impact survival and promote multiple alterations on phenological and ecophysiological response of cultivated Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum plants. Extremely warm temperatures promoted a high heat sum in degrees days throughout plants development. Most plants grown in high sunlight regimes did not survive; under intermediate sunlight regimes survival was high and plants developed vegetative and reproductively; but under low sunlight regimes plants survival was high; however, they developed just vegetatively. Photosynthetic response to light suggests that plants are physiologically acclimated to low and intermediate irradiance, whereas the CO₂ assimilation curves suggest contrasting photosynthetic capacity traits. Under the intermediate sunlight regimes, plants strengthened their performance through multiple functional traits (e.g. CO₂ and water diffusion traits, photosynthetic capacity, respiration, among others). Consequently, their biomass gain was faster and proportionally higher by 76 % with an investment of 14 % in fruits development. The principal components analysis extracted the main explanatory functional traits: photosynthetic nitrogen allocation, stomatal limitation, mesophyll conductance, Rubisco maximum carboxylation velocity, among others. In conclusion, phenological response and multiple functional traits determine plants acclimation to sunlight regimes and extremely warm temperatures in short term.

Extraction of phenolic compounds from agro-industrial by-products by fungal fermentation with potential use as additives for meat and meat products. A review

The present manuscript reviews the findings of different research studies that evaluate the use of fungal solid-state (SSF) and submerged culture fermentation (SCF) with agro-industrial residues as substrates to enhance the production of polyphenols and their possible uses as food additives. Some agro-industrial residues (peels, pulps and seeds) are an important source of phenolic acids (p-coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, cinnamic, ferulic, gallic, gentisic, protocatechuic, rosmarinic, salycilic, syringic, and vanillic acids) and flavonoid compounds (apigenin, chrysin, (+)-catechin, kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, rutin, hesperetin, and naringin). In addition, the utilization of these residues as substrates in SCF and SSF enhances polyphenol production, improves biological function by increasing antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and provides a potential alternative to synthetic antioxidant uses in the meat and meat products industry.

Antioxidant Properties and Industrial Uses of Edible Polyporales

The content of antioxidant compounds varies within fungal species, and the Polyporales order has been recognized for this property. Numerous antioxidant compounds have been identified in Polyporales fungi, including phenolic compounds, β-glucans, ergosterol, ergothioneine, vitamin C, and tocopherols. Each compound contributes differently to the antioxidant potential of fungi. Besides the health benefits for rural communities caused by fungi consumption, their antioxidant composition attracts the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries’ interest. In this context, the present review compiles, analyzes, and discusses the bioactive composition of edible fungi of the Polyporales order and its contribution to total antioxidant capacity.

Vineyard Pruning Waste Improves Bioconversion and Chemical Composition of Native Ganoderma spp. (Agaricomycetes) Strains from Mexico

The aim of this work was to evaluate wood chips from vineyard prunings (VPs) as a potential substrate in cultures of Ganoderma spp. Biological efficiency (BE), production rate (PR), yield, and protein and fat contents of basidiomes increased when the wild strains G. oerstedii and G. subincrustatum, which were isolated from the Sonoran Desert, were cultivated on VPs. The mineral content of the basidiomes varied depending on the strain and substrate. The carbohydrate and phenol contents of the different substrate combinations and of the basidiomes were similar among strains. However, the carbohydrate and phenol contents of the substrates did not correlate with an increase in BE. Conversely, the high availability of protein, fat, and hemicellulose in VPs positively correlated with increases in BE, in yield, and in the protein and fat contents of the basidiomes of the wild strains. Our results clearly demonstrate that, in comparison with the traditional substrate of oak wood, VPs improve the production and biochemical composition of basidiomes. Therefore, cultivation of Ganoderma spp. on VPs is an environmentally friendly strategy for increasing their nutritional value and for cultivating these mushrooms for other biotechnological applications.

Bioavailability of Compounds Susceptible to Enzymatic Oxidation Enhances Growth of Shiitake Medicinal Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) in Solid-State Fermentation with Vineyard Prunings

Grapes are widely produced in northwestern Mexico, generating many wood trimmings (vineyard prunings) that have no further local use. This makes vineyard prunings a very attractive alternative for the cultivation of white-rot medicinal mushrooms such as Lentinus edodes. This type of wood can also offer a model for the evaluation of oxidative enzyme production during the fermentation process. We tested the effect of wood from vineyard prunings on the vegetative growth of and production of ligninolytic enzymes in L. edodes in solid-state fermentation and with wheat straw as the control substrate. The specific growth rate of the fungus was 2-fold higher on vineyard pruning culture (μM = 0.95 day-1) than on wheat straw culture (μM = 0.47 day-1). Laccase-specific production was 4 times higher in the vineyard prunings culture than on wheat straw (0.34 and 0.08 mU · mg protein-1 · ppm CO2-1, respectively), and manganese peroxidase production was 3.7 times higher on wheat straw culture than on vineyard prunings (2.21 and 0.60 mU · mg protein-1 · ppm CO2-1, respectively). To explain accurately these differences in growth and ligninolytic enzyme activity, methanol extracts were obtained from each substrate and characterized. Resveratrol and catechins were the main compounds identified in vineyard prunings, whereas epigallocatechin was the only one detected in wheat straw. Compounds susceptible to enzymatic oxidation are more bioavailable in vineyard prunings than in wheat straw, and thus the highest L. edodes growth rate is associated with the presence of these compounds.

Physiological response of Cucurbita pepo var. pepo mycorrhized by Sonoran desert native arbuscular fungi to drought and salinity stresses

Plants response to symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) under water stress is important to agriculture. Under abiotic stress conditions native fungi are more effective than exotics in improving plant growth and water status. Mycorrhization efficiency is related to soil fungi development and energy cost-benefit ratio. In this study, we assessed the effect on growth, water status and energy metabolism of Cucurbita pepo var. pepo when inoculated with native AMF from the Sonoran desert Mexico (mixed isolate and field consortium), and compared with an exotic species from a temperate region, under drought, low and high salinity conditions. Dry weights, leaf water content, water and osmotic potentials, construction costs, photochemistry and mycorrhization features were quantified. Under drought and low salinity conditions, the mixed isolate increased plant growth and leaf water content. Leaf water potential was increased only by the field consortium under drought conditions (0.5-0.9MPa). Under high salinity, the field consortium increased aerial dry weight (more than 1g) and osmotic potential (0.54MPa), as compared to non-mycorrhized controls. Plants inoculated with native AMF, which supposedly diminish the effects of stress, exhibited low construction costs, increased photochemical capacity, and grew larger external mycelia in comparison to the exotic inoculum.

Valoración hidro-ambiental y evaluación de coeficientes de agostadero mediante indicadores termo-pluviométricos

Para un manejo sustentable de una superficie de pastoreo, es necesario conocer la estrategia de la naturaleza para sostener el pastizal. En consecuencia, los esquemas de manejo deben fundamentarse en programas de caracterización ambiental y de seguimiento adecuados. Con la finalidad de contar con un instrumento de apoyo para el diagnósticode agostaderos, se propone la aplicación del indicador de disponibilidad hidroambiental (IDHA), con escala de 0 a 10. Según la aplicación del IDHA en 36 localidades de Sonora, cinco de las mismas (13.9 %) fluctuaron de 0 a 2.5, por lo que sus pastizales son altamente vulnerables a las sequías, con pocas posibilidades de manejo; 20 (55.6 %) oscilaron de 2.5 a 5, para las que se sugiere manejo con restricciones severas; once (30.5 %) fluctuaron de 5 a 7.5, para las que se propone manejo sostenible con rotaciones adecuadas y prevenciones durante la sequía, y ninguna delas localidades alcanzó valores de IDHA > 7.5, alto potencial de manejo sostenible mediante rotaciones adecuadas. Sin embargo las acciones para prevenir los efectos del sobrepastoreo, no siempre son suficientes para mitigar las consecuencias devastadoras de las sequías, las cuales son exacerbadas por el cambio climático.

Quantitative changes in the biochemical composition of lignocellulosic residues during the vegetative growth of Lentinula edodes

The chemical changes in barley-straw (BS), wheat-straw (WS) and vineyard-pruning (VP) substrates were determined during colonization of Lentinula edodes mycelia (during primordium development) in solid state fermentation. Primordia appeared 39-50 days after inoculation. VP appeared to promote early sporophore initiation. The concentration of hemicellulose in BS and VP decreased gradually from 25.5% to 15.6% and from 15.8% to 12.3%, respectively. However in WS, hemicellulose decreased from 27.2% to 9.5%. Lignin broke down continuously in BS and WS, with 31.8% and 34.4% degradation, respectively; higher than that of cellulose. During the pinning stage, the C:N ratio decreased in VP and BS, but not in WS. On all substrates the phenols decreased notably throughout the first week of mycelial growth. The time elapsed (days) to pinning was positively correlated with cellulose content (r=0.89), total sugar (r=0.85) and inversely correlated to lignin (r=-1.00) and phenol content (r=-0.55).

[Multifocal cavernous hemangioma of the skull. Case report]

A 39 year old female presented with a multifocal lesions in the skull, at the frontal right and parietal left. We performed bilateral craniectomies guided with navigation, and the bone defects were repaired with titanium mesh. The pathological examination reported intraosseous cavernous hemangioma in both lesions. Follow up of six months without any complication or recurrence and good cosmetic outcome.

Polar vineyard pruning extracts increase the activity of the main ligninolytic enzymes in Lentinula edodes cultures

Lentinula edodes is considered an alternative recycling agent for agricultural wastes, and there have been several studies to understand the relationship between its growth and ligninolytic activity. We tested the effect of wood from viticulture pruning, extracted with solvents of differing polarity, on the biomass production and activity pattern of ligninolytic enzymes. The analysis was done by measuring the mycelial dry mass and enzyme activity of liquid growth medium during the culture of L. edodes, adding either single extracts or a combination of extracts. Polar extracts enhanced mycelial production, and the activity patterns of lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, aryl alcohol oxidase, and laccase were comparable to their activities predicted by ligninolysis models proposed for other fungi. We conclude that the polar extracts could be useful for enhancing fungal biomass production and for modifying lignin degradation because the regulation of ligninolytic enzyme activity is differentially influenced by the polarity of the extract.

Bioconversion of agrowastes by Lentinula edodes: the high potential of viticulture residues

The production of four strains of edible mushroom Lentinula edodes was evaluated through solid-state fermentation (SSF) of vineyard pruning (VP), barley straw (BS), and wheat straw (WS). Biological efficiency, proximal composition, and energy value of the fruiting bodies, as well as substrate chemical changes after harvest, were determined. The shortest primordium formation time (28 days), highest biological efficiency (93.25%), highest yield (37.46%), and shortest production cycle (6 days) were observed in VP. The fruiting bodies obtained from VP had high energy value (379.09 to 392.95 kcal) and contents of protein (12.37 to 17.19%), but low contents of fat (1.82 to 2.15%). After SSF, phenol concentration decreased on VP (1.2 mmol/L) and BS (0.31 mmol/L), but on WS remained practically the same. Hemicellulose decreased in all substrates; cellulose increased on WS and decreased in the rest of the treatments. Lignin decreased on WS and BS, but its concentration increased on VP. The variability observed in the degradation capacity of lignocellulosic components was influenced by the substrate's nature, environmental factors, and genetic factors among strains. VP has great potential for shiitake production due to its low cost, short production cycles, and high biological efficiency.

Biodegradation of viticulture wastes by Pleurotus: a source of microbial and human food and its potential use in animal feeding

The bioconversion of vineyard pruning and grape pomace by Pleurotus spp. using a solid state fermentation (SSF) was evaluated. Fruiting body production and chemical changes in the substrates after harvesting were measured. Biological efficiency and bioconversion ranged from 37.2 to 78.7% and from 16.7 to 38.8%, respectively. The best substrates for mycelial growth and mushroom yield were the mixtures with higher vineyard pruning content. Inclusion of pruning content had higher phenolic components and total sugars, better C/N ratio, and lower crude fat and total nitrogen than pomace. On the contrary, mycelium grew more slowly and scarcely in all treatments with 100% grape pomace. Moisture, protein, fat, and lignin contents were generally higher in mixtures with higher pomace proportion, whereas neutral detergent fiber, hemicellulose, and cellulose contents were higher with pruning content. Pleurotus strains may act depending on the availability of fiber fractions of substrate, and dynamic changes in digestion might occur as these fractions change during fungal growth. The recycling of viticulture residues through SSF by Pleurotus has great potential to produce human food and yields an available high-fiber feed for limited use in ruminants.