Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XVIII
Written by Gabriela POPA, Mihai Bogdan NICOLCIOIU, Matilda CIUCA, Calina Petruta CORNEA
For long time mushrooms presented interest for consumption as food, as traditional medicine or in bioremediation, due to their nutritional, antioxidant, antimicrobial and therapeutic values. The valorisation of indigenous species of mushrooms both for research or practical applications is a goal for researchers all over the world and requires well characterized collections. Despite the importance of macromycetes, few collections are developed in Europe and they contain mainly standard strains. The existence of extremely rich mycoflora in the forests and grasslands of Romania creates favourable conditions for initiating a scientific approach with definite applicability, in order to diversify the cultivated assortment by introducing of some new indigenous mushroom strains and species. For example, several species from spontaneous mycoflora of Romania have nutritional value or could be used as therapeutic agents: Agaricus campestris, Clytocibe geotropa, Boletus edulis, Hericium coraloides, Pleurotus ostreatus, Armillaria mellea, Flammulina velutipes, Coprinus comatus, Laetiporus sulphureus, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma lucidum etc. Exploitation of such fungal species by introducing into controlled culture may diversify the range of mushrooms for domestic market or for obtaining of innovative products. For this reason the aim of our work was the realization of a fungal germplasm collection based on indigenous isolates obtained from natural ecosystems. 40 mushroom varieties belonging to at least 35 species were isolated and in vitro propagated on MEA or PDA media. The possibility of submerged cultivation of mycelium for some species as well as antimicrobial potential was also examined. Using specific biotechnologies the new mushroom strains included in our collection will be tested for genetic variability and for other important characteristics (producing of enzymes, degradation abilities, antimicrobial and/or antitumor properties etc).
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fungal germplasm collections
