Enhanced Cd activation by Coprinus comatus endophyte Bacillus thuringiensis and the molecular mechanism.

Fungal endophytes not only tolerate and activate Cd in soil but also promote host growth, yet its Cd activation capacity and mechanism remain unrevealed. Our previous study isolated a robust endophyte Bacillus thuringiensis L1 from Coprinus comatus fruiting body with splendid Cd resistance and activation abilities under laboratory conditions. In this study, those peculiarities were investigated in the actual soil environment. L1 could significantly increase the soil bioavailable Cd content and effectively compensate for alkali-hydro nitrogen losses and microbial inhibition caused by Cd. Furthermore, L1 inoculation improved the soil's bacterial community structure and increased the relative abundance of Cd-resistant bacteria, such as Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacter, and Firmicutes, closely associated with the soil enzyme activity shift. The genome sequencing analysis revealed the presence of genes related to growth promotion, resistance to Cd stress, and Cd activation, which were significantly up-regulated under Cd stress. Notably, L1 mainly activates Cd in soil by secreting citric acid, succinic acid, siderophore, and soluble phosphorus substances to chelate with Cd or dissolve bounded Cd. Meanwhile, the metal-responsive transcription repressor (CadC) and the Cd-translocating protein P-type ATPase (CadA) can help the L1 to suppress the toxicity of Cd. Those results help to unveil the possible mechanism of L1 in Cd-contaminated soil remediation, providing a clear strategy for Cd bio-extraction from soil.

Relationship between Components, Intestinal Microbiota, and Mechanism of Hypoglycemic Effect of the Saggy Ink Cap Medicinal Mushroom (Coprinus Comatus, Agaricomycetes): A Review.

Coprinus comatus is rich in a variety of nutrients, which has been reported to display a good hypoglycemic effect. However, there is no consensus on the hypoglycemic mechanism of this mushroom. Intestinal microbiota, a complex and intrinsic system, is closely related to metabolism. In this review, we discussed the potential relationship between certain components of C. comatus and intestinal microbiota to illustrate the possible hypoglycemic mechanism of C. comatus through intestinal microbiota. It will provide a new perspective for the study of hypoglycemic mechanism of C. comatus and promote the development and utilization of this mushroom.

Ethanol extract of the mushroom Coprinus comatus exhibits antidiabetic and antioxidant activities in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

CONTEXT: Edible mushrooms have a long history of use in traditional Chinese or Japanese medicine. Coprinus comatus (O.F. Müll.) Pers. (Agaricaceae) contains antioxidant and antidiabetic agents. OBJECTIVE: To identify the benefits of ethanol extracts of the C. comatus fruit body in streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemic rats by evaluating their blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), and glutathione (GSH) levels, with and without extract administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were either left untreated or were administered 45 mg/kg body weight (BW) streptozotocin; 45 mg/kg BW metformin; or 250, 500, or 750 mg/kg BW extract for 14 days. The blood glucose, GLP-1, DPP-4, GSH, insulin, and HbA1c levels were determined. Data were analysed using analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range tests. RESULTS: Preliminary data showed that administration of C. comatus ethanol extract dose of 250, 500, and 750 mg orally has no toxicity effects after 24 h administration. The ethanolic extract of fruiting body of C. comatus considerably reduced the rat's fasting blood glucose levels 26.69%, and DPP-4 6.97% at dose of 750 mg. The extract reduced HbA1c 4-4.30%, increased GLP-1 71.09%, GSH 11.19% at dose of 500 mg, and increased insulin levels 13.83%. Extracts contain bioactive compounds such as flavonoid, alkaloid, terpenoids, vitamins C and E, rutin, and saponin. CONCLUSIONS: The C. comatus extract can be used as herbal medicine that reduces diabetic symptoms. Further investigation on C. comatus extracts should be conducted with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to characterise the bioactive compounds.

Detrimental and essential elements in fruiting bodies of wild-growing fungi Coprinus comatus, Flammulina velutipes, and Armillaria ostoyae.

Edible medicinal wild-growing fungi Coprinus comatus, Flammulina velutipes, and Armillaria ostoyae were analyzed with regard to the contents of 21 elements in their fruiting bodies. The samples were collected from selected sites in South Bohemia, the Czech Republic. C. comatus concentrated Ag, Cd, Cu, Se, and Rb with bioconcentration factors of 12, 2.5, 2.3, 1.8, and 1.1, respectively. High contents (all values expressed in mg kg-1 dry matter) of Al (260), Ca (480), Cu (61), Fe (340), Mg (1400), and Zn (86) were determined for this species. F. velutipes was characterized with markedly high contents of Ca (360), Fe (110), Mg (1200), Mn (26), and Zn (98), respectively. A considerably high content of Ag (5.6) was revealed for A. ostoyae. High contents of Ca (150), Cu (28), Fe (190), Mg (1100), Mn (30), and Zn (40) were determined in fruiting bodies of this species as well. The data concerning the detrimental elements in fruiting bodies of studied fungi indicate no considerably negative effect on human health if they are consumed as a delicacy or used in alternative medicine.

Physicochemical characterization, adsorption function and prebiotic effect of chitin-glucan complex from mushroom Coprinus comatus.

Chitin-glucan complex (CGC) is a novel insoluble dietary fiber with multiple physiological activities. In this work, CGC was extracted from the fruiting body of Coprinus comatus and its physicochemical properties and prebiotic effects were investigated. The results indicated that CGC consisted of glucosamine and glucose in a molar ratio of 67: 33 with degree of acetylation of 61.91% and crystallinity index of 25.40%. The maximum degradation temperature was determined to be 307.52 °C, and a woven fibrous structure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. CGC exhibited higher oil-holding capacity, water-holding capacity and nitrite ion adsorption capacity than commercial chitin, and showed potential prebiotic effects. Compared with control and commercial chitin, CGC significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentration of propionic and butyric acids. These results suggested that CGC from C. comatus was promising to be an alternative source of CGC products and used as a bioactive ingredient in functional foods.

Transcriptome analysis of genes associated with autolysis of Coprinus comatus.

Coprinus comatus, widely known as "Jituigu", is an important commodity and food in China. The yield of C. comatus, however, is substantially reduced by the autolysis of the fruiting bodies after harvest. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism underlying this autolysis, we divided the growth of C. comatus fruiting bodies into four stages: infant stage (I), mature stage (M), discolored stage (D), and autolysis stage (A). We then subjected these stages to de novo transcriptomic analysis using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. A total of 12,946 unigenes were annotated and analyzed with the Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). We analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between stages I and M, M and D, and D and A. Because the changes from M to D are thought to be related to autolysis, we focused on the DEGs between these two stages. We found that the pathways related to metabolic activity began to vary in the transition from M to D, including pathways named as autophagy-yeast, peroxisome, and starch and sucrose metabolism. This study also speculates the possible process of the autolysis of Coprinus comatus. In addition, 20 genes of interest were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR to verify their expression profiles at the four developmental stages. This study, which is the first to describe the transcriptome of C. comatus, provides a foundation for future studies concerning the molecular basis of the autolysis of its fruiting bodies.

Proteomics Reveals the Mechanism Underlying the Autolysis of Postharvest Coprinus comatus Fruiting Bodies.

Autolysis occurs widely in edible mushroom fruiting bodies after harvest, but the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analyses have been applied for revealing the autolysis mechanism of postharvest Coprinus comatus fruiting bodies. The results indicated that the autolysis mechanism of postharvest C. comatus was complicated. Before pileus opening, the carbohydrate metabolism including cell wall hydrolysis and energy biosynthesis, which were probably regulated by the ribosome, was involved in mushroom autolysis, whereas after pileus opening, the autolysis mechanism was related to the accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Furthermore, the changes in cell wall components and hydrolases, along with the production of ROS and the activities of oxidoreductase in C. comatus, were also verified to confirm the proteomic analysis results.

Sensory attributes and characterization of aroma profiles of fermented sausages based on fibrous-like meat substitute from soybean protein and Coprinus comatus.

Plant-based meat substitutes are emerging as healthy, balanced, and sustainable non-animal alternatives to alleviate stress from the increased demand for meat products. In this study, fibrous-like extrudates acting as meat substitutes were manufactured from soybean protein and Coprinus comatus by thermos-extrusion and fermentation processing improved the meat-like physicochemical and textural properties, taste, and flavor of products. The fermentation period was greatly shortened than animal meat-based fermented sausage. For comparison reasons, the aroma profiles of meat substitute fermented sausages (MS-FS), fermented sausages without curing (MS-NCFS) and natural fermented sausages (MS-NFS) were systemically analyzed by headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A total of 156 volatile compounds were identified, and the curing and fermenting process contributed to the increased contents of volatile compounds greatly. Moreover, the MS-FS without curing evaded undesired off-flavors like grass and bean flavor from 1-octen-3-ol. Sensory evaluation was also showed higher scores for MS-FS than other processing.

Coprinus comatus endophytic bacteria characteristics and mechanisms for the cadmium resistance.

Characteristics and resistant mechanisms of macro-fungus endophytic bacteria to cadmium (Cd) have not been well defined. Strains L1 and L3 with Cd-resistant capacity were isolated from the fruiting body of Coprinus comatus, which were identified as Bacillus sp. Under the stress of Cd, the morphologies of both L1 and L3 changed to reduce the threat of Cd. The results of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry indicated that functional groups such as -OH, -COOH, and -NH2 participated in the Cd adsorption process. The contents of Cd adsorbed on the cell wall of L1 were 83.46-174.51% higher than that of L3. On the contrary, the contents of Cd accumulated in L1 cytoplasm were 38.77-74.77% lower than that of L3. As the level of Cd increased from 10 to 30 mg/L, the percentages of Cd distributed on the cell walls of L1 and L3 increased by 42.43% and 26.78%, respectively. The results also revealed that the contents of Cd absorbed by the sterilized strains L1 and L3 were 47.67-64.94% and 8.65-78.63% higher than that of living ones, respectively. In addition, the proline production of L1 was 23.75-109.68% higher than that of L3, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) production of L1 was 0.96-15.60% lower than that of L3. Thus, through the comparison of endophytic bacterial physiological responses, the possible characteristics and resistant mechanisms of macro-fungus endophytic bacteria under Cd stress were firstly reported.

Antidiabetic Effects and Antioxidant Properties of the Saggy Ink Cap Medicinal Mushroom, Coprinus comatus (Agaricomycetes), in Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemic Rats.

Coprinus comatus is known for its antihyperglycemic benefits. This study aimed to identify the effect of bioactive compounds of C. comatus extract as an antidiabetic agent linked to glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and antioxidant properties in increasing glutathione (GSH) levels. This study used six groups of Wistar rats (n = 24). Group 1 comprised the healthy control. Groups 2-6 received 45 mg of streptozotocin/kg body weight (BW) once. Group 3 was also given 45 mg of metformin/kg BW, whereas groups 4-6 were also given 250, 500, and 750 mg of C. comatus ethyl acetate extract/kg BW for 14 days. Antidiabetic effects of alkaloids and saponin were seen in blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) degradation, increased insulin, and increased inhibition of GLP-1 through dipeptidyl peptidase-4 activity. Flavonoid antioxidants, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) are useful in protecting pancreatic в cells from free radicals. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test. C. comatus ethyl acetate extract at doses of 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg BW worked as an antidiabetic and antioxidant agent that contained flavonoids (16.4 mg/L), alkaloids (2.97 mg/L), saponin, rutin (351.13 ppm), vitamin C (132.342 mg/L), and vitamin E (102.320 g/L). The 250-mg dose was effective in increasing insulin (8.11 mlU/mL) and reducing blood glucose (23.92%) and HbA1c (3.775%), whereas the 500-mg dose was effective in increasing levels of GLP-1 (1056.923 ng/L) and GSH (4.62 µmol/L).

Antioxidant Activity and Probiotic Proliferation and Acidifying Activity of Intracellular Polysaccharides from the Shaggy Ink Cap Medicinal Mushroom, Coprinus comatus (Agaricomycetes), under Optimal Polysaccharide Synthase Activity.

For the first time, polysaccharide synthase activity was used as the cut-in condition in this study and the fermentation conditions of Coprinus comatus intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) were further optimized. The optimal conditions were 23.65 g/L of carbon source, 47.44 g/L of nitrogen source, and pH 5.73. C. comatus IPS was obtained under the optimal conditions and its antioxidant properties were evaluated. Next, in vitro proliferation and Lactobacillus rhamnosus acidifying activity were assessed. IPS had good antioxidant properties and could promote the growth and acid production of probiotics. The antioxidant properties and probiotic proliferation and acidifying activity of IPS were improved to a certain extent under the optimal conditions. Thus, our findings contribute to establishing a novel fermentation process that can produce IPS with better performance. Meanwhile, IPS has great application potential in medicine.

The Saggy Ink Cap Medicinal Mushroom, Coprinus comatus (Agaricomycetes), Protein Attenuates Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury in Association with Changes in the Gut Microbiota of Mice.

This study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Coprinus comatus protein (CCP) in a mouse model of acute alcoholic liver injury by regulating gut microbiota dysbiosis. Mice were divided into four groups, including the control group (CG), alcohol group (AG), biphenyldicarboxylate group (BG), and protein group (PG). The results showed that alcohol can increase the liver organ index, which could be adjusted by CCP. At the same time, analysis of serum biochemical indexes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase) and liver oxidative stress levels (glutathione) revealed that CCP significantly alleviated alcohol-induced hepatic inflammation. Sequencing of 16S rRNA showed that gut microbiota composition was changed significantly by alcohol treatment. However, CCP could mitigate dysbiosis of gut microbiota, such as increasing the proportion of Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Lactobacillaceae and reducing the proportion of Burkholderiaceae, Deferribacteraceae, Enterococcaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. In conclusion, CCP can maintain gut microbiota stability to improve liver injury and is potentially a good candidate for dietary supplements against acute alcoholic liver injury.

Bioinspired self-degradable hydrogels towards wound sealing.

Inspired by the autolysis of shaggy mane, we developed a self-degradable hydrogel as a medical adhesive for skin wounds. The rapid gelation and self-degradation of the hydrogel were achieved via the Michael addition and subsequent hydrolysis of the addition product. In vivo experiments further showed that the hydrogel adhesive was efficiently applied for skin wound repair.

Impacts and tolerance responses of Coprinus comatus and Pleurotus cornucopiae on cadmium contaminated soil.

Large amounts of cadmium (Cd) have been discharged into soil with the rapid development of industry. In this study, we revealed the impacts of Coprinus comatus (C. comatus) and Pleurotus cornucopiae (P. cornucopiae) on soil and the tolerance responses of macrofungi in the presence of Cd by the analysis of soil biochemical properties and macrofungi growth indexes. Results showed that with the cultivation of C. comatus and P. cornucopiae, the HOAc-extractable Cd in soil individually reduced by 9.53% and 11.35%, the activities of soil urease, acid phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis increased by 18.11-101.45%, 8.39-18.24%, 9.37-55.50% and 28.94-41.92%, respectively. Meanwhile, different soil bacterial communities were observed with various macrofungi cultivations. Also, Cd accumulation significantly enhanced the macrofungi antioxidant enzyme activities, which increased by 24.10-45.43%, 30.11-61.53% and 7.03-26.81% for catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the macrofungi, respectively. Moreover, the enhanced macrofungi endophytic bacterial diversities with Cd existence was firstly observed in the present experiment. These findings revealed the possible Cd resistance mechanisms in macrofungi, suggesting C. comatus and P. cornucopiae were promising ameliorators for Cd contaminated soil.

Polarography as a technique of choice for the evaluation of total antioxidant activity: The case study of selected Coprinus Comatus extracts and quinic acid, their antidiabetic ingredient.

This study was focused on in vitro screening of the total antioxidant activity of the selected extracts of the mushroom Coprinus comatus and quinic acid, one of their antidiabetic ingredients, by an uncommon electrochemical assay. Indeed, direct current (DC) polarographic HydroxoPerhydroxo Mercury(II) Complex (HPMC) assay based on decrease of anodic limiting current originating from HPMC formation in alkaline solutions of hydrogen peroxide at potential of mercury dissolution, observed upon gradual addition of antioxidants, was applied herein for the estimation of the natural products' antioxidativity. Quinic acid was found to exhibit most promising antioxidant potential (4.0 ± 0.2%µL-1) being ≈ 2-fold more active than the screened C. comatus extract samples. Actually, such a finding puts some light on the antioxidativity of cyclic polyols, well understimated class of organic compounds, compared to aromatic (poly)phenolics. As a low cost, easy-to handle and accurate this polarographic assay may be thoroughly recommended for much broader use. [Formula: see text].

Mushrooms as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer: Evaluation of anti-glioma effects of Coprinus comatus, Cantharellus cibarius, Lycoperdon perlatum and Lactarius deliciosus extracts.

Cancer incidence rates are on the increase worldwide. The most common brain cancer in adults is glioblastoma. Currently available treatment modalities are limited and natural products such as mushrooms could enhance them. Apart from nutritional value, mushrooms are an excellent source of bioactive compounds and therefore could be used to treat various disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the anti-glioma potential of selected mushrooms on U87MG, LN-18 glioblastoma and SVGp12 normal human astroglial cell lines. The materials were Cantharellus cibarius, Coprinus comatus, Lycoperdon perlatum and Lactarius delicious. Aqueous, 70 % ethanol or 95 % ethanol extracts from mushrooms were used for analysis including assessment of antioxidant activity by DPPH assay, cell viability by MTT assay, DNA biosynthesis by thymidine incorporation assay, activity of metalloproteinase by gelatin zymography and cell cycle assay by flow cytometry. Mushroom extracts influenced the viability and DNA biosynthesis of cancer cells. Activity of ethanol mushroom extracts was stronger than that of aqueous extracts. Anti-glioma mechanism consisted in inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis associated with arrest of cells in subG1 or G2/M phase of cell cycle, and inhibition of metalloproteinases activity. Among investigated mushrooms, L. deliciosus and C. comatus showed the greatest anti-glioma potential.

Family and species as determinants modulating mineral composition of selected wild-growing mushroom species.

It has been known since the 1970s that differences exist in the profile of element content in wild-growing mushroom species, although knowledge of the role of mushroom species/families as determinants in the accumulation of diverse element remains limited. The aim of this study was to determine the content of 63 mineral elements, divided into six separate groups in the fruit bodies of 17 wild-growing mushroom species. The mushrooms, growing in widely ranging types of soil composition, were collected in Poland in 2018. Lepista nuda and Paralepista gilva contained not only the highest content of essential major (531 and 14,800 mg kg-1, respectively of Ca and P) and trace elements (425 and 66.3 mg kg-1, respectively of Fe and B) but also a high content of trace elements with a detrimental health effect (1.39 and 7.29 mg kg-1, respectively of Tl and Ba). A high content of several elements (Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Er, Fe, Mg, Mo, P, Sc, Ti or V) in L. nuda, Lepista personata, P. gilva and/or Tricholoma equestre fruit bodies belonging to the Tricholomataceae family suggests that such species may be characterised by the most effective accumulation of selected major or trace elements. On the other hand, mushrooms belonging to the Agaricaceae family (Agaricus arvensis, Coprinus comatus and Macrolepiota procera) were characterised by significant differences in the content of all determined elements jointly, which suggests that a higher content of one or several elements is mushroom species-dependent. Graphical abstract.

Characterization and anti-diabetic nephropathic ability of mycelium polysaccharides from Coprinus comatus.

It seems quite necessary for obtaining effective substances from natural products against the diabetic nephropathic (DN) with the presently clinical problems of accompanying side-effects and lowing life qualities. This work aimed to characterize the primary structure of Coprinus comatus mycelium polysaccharides (CMP) and investigate the abilities against DN in streptozotocin induced mice models. The results indicated that CMP could improve insulin resistance and energy metabolism, and significantly suppress dysfunction on kidney and relieve the renal oxidative stress and inflammation in DN mice. Besides, the western blot results suggested that CMP reversed renal injury by modulating the PTEN/PI3K/Akt and Wnt-1/ß-catenin pathways. The structure analysis indicated the typical characterizations with the major monosaccharide-compositions of galactose, α-pyranose configuration and proper molecular weights of 495.8 kDa possibly contributed to the anti-diabetic nephropathic effects of CMP. The results suggested that polysaccharides form C. comatus could be used as functional foods/drugs on preventing diabetic nephropathy.

Comparing the Cosmetic Effects of Liquid-Fermented Culture of Some Medicinal Mushrooms Including Antioxidant, Moisturizing, and Whitening Activities.

There have been few studies on the cosmetic efficacy of Coprinus comatus, Cordyceps militaris, and Pleurotus geesteranus. This article aims to compare the cosmetic effects of the mycelium, fermentation broth, and mycelium and fermentation broth mixture of liquid-fermented C. comatus, C. militaris, and P. geesteranus. Our results verified that these three edible mushrooms all showed excellent antioxidant, moisturizing, and whitening effects. Comparatively, we found that the cosmetic effects of C. comatus were superior to C. militaris and P. geesteranus. Therefore, we speculate that among the three edible mushrooms, C. comatus will be the most suitable to be used as a basis for cosmeceutical formulations to tackle skin aging and hyperpigmentation. This research aims to provide a basis for the study of the cosmetic effects of edible mushrooms.

Degradative Ability of Mushrooms Cultivated on Corn Silage Digestate.

The current management practice of digestate from biogas plants involves its use for land application as a fertilizer. Nevertheless, the inadequate handling of digestate may cause environmental risks due to losses of ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide. Therefore, the key goals of digestate management are to maximize its value by developing new digestate products, reducing its dependency on soil application and the consequent air pollution. The high nitrogen and lignin content in solid digestate make it a suitable substrate for edible and medicinal mushroom cultivation. To this aim, the mycelial growth rate and degradation capacity of the lignocellulosic component from corn silage digestate, undigested wheat straw and their mixture were investigated on Cyclocybe aegerita, Coprinus comatus, Morchella importuna, Pleurotus cornucopiae and Pleurotus ostreatus. The structural modification of the substrates was performed by using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Preliminary in vitro results demonstrated the ability of P. ostreatus, P. cornucopiae and M. importuna to grow and decay hemicellulose and lignin of digestate. Cultivation trials were carried out on C. aegerita, P. cornucopiae and P. ostreatus. Pleurotus ostreatus showed the highest biological efficiency and fruiting body production in the presence of the digestate; moreover, P. ostreatus and P. cornucopiae were able to degrade the lignin. These results provide attractive perspectives both for more sustainable digestate management and for the improvement of mushroom cultivation efficiency.