Comparative Studies on Polysaccharides, Triterpenoids, and Essential Oil from Fermented Mycelia and Cultivated Sclerotium of a Medicinal and Edible Mushroom, Poria Cocos.

Poria cocos, an important medicinal and edible fungus, is well known in East Asia. The main active components are water-soluble polysaccharides (WPS) and triterpenoids. Due to the growing market demand, long cultivation period, and consumption of pine trunk during cultivation, alternative methods for producing P. cocos or its active components should be investigated. In this study, WPS, triterpenoids, monosaccharide composition, and essential oil in fermented mycelia and cultivated sclerotium were analyzed using UV spectrophotometry, HPLC, pre-column derivatization, and HS-GC/MS, respectively. Our results showed that the WPS and triterpenoids in mycelia are several times higher than those in sclerotium. Among the 62 compounds identified by HS-GC/MS analysis from the essential oil obtained from the fermentation media and a fresh external layer, the two main fragrances in common were linalool and methyl phenylacetate. Our results suggested that it is applicable to produce polysaccharides and triterpenoids by the fermentation of P. cocos, and a strategy to improve triterpenoid production in the fermentation process was proposed.

Accumulation of biomass and four triterpenoids in two-stage cultured Poria cocos mycelia and diuretic activity in rats.

Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf, an important medicinal and food fungus, is well known in East Asia. Due to growing market demand, long cultivation period, and consumption of pine trunk during cultivation, developing alternative methods for producing P. cocos and/or its active components is of interest. In the present study, the effects of different culture methods on biomass and accumulation of four triterpenoids were investigated. The ethanol extract of fermented mycelium (EFM) was orally administered to rats. Urine output and concentrations of electrolytes (Na+, K+, and Cl-) were measured. Our results showed that mycelia grew better under continuous shaking culture condition (7.5 g DW·L-1), and higher triterpenoid levels were accumulated in two-stage culture (112 mg·L-1, 2.03%). The optimal starting time of static culture for triterpenoid yield was 4th d after shaking culture. Single administration of middle and high dose of EFM significantly increased urine output, Na+ and Cl- excretion, and Na+/K+ ratio. These results suggested that ethanol extract of cultured mycelia showed significant diuretic activity in rats and two-stage culture of P. cocos could be an alternative way to produce mycelia and triterpenoids.