Production of Basidiomata and Ligninolytic Enzymes by the Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes), in Licuri (Syagrus coronata) Wastes in Brazil.

ABSTRACT

Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom with different forms of bioactivity that has been used in popular medicine for centuries. This study aimed to test the application of agricultural wastes (fruit shells, leaves, and bracts) from the endemic Brazilian palm tree Syagrus coronata (licuri) as substrates for the production of G. lucidum basidiomata and ligninolytic enzymes via solid-state fermentation. The best culture conditions were the same for all substrates (pH 6.5, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio = 40, and temperature 30°C) and were established from preliminary assays. The yield was not significantly different for bracts (33.53 g/kg) and leaves (37.48 g/kg), nor for the biological efficiency in these same substrates bracts, 3.35%; leaves, 3.75%. The highest laccase (13.80 U/L) and manganese peroxidase (14.92 U/L) activities were achieved after 14 and 28 days of incubation, respectively, using bracts as the substrate. Licuri residues are then potential substrates to be used in the bioconversion process for mycelia, basidiomata, and ligninolytic enzyme production by G. lucidum.