Effects of pine (Pinus densiflora) sawdust on cordycepin yield from medicinal fungus Cordyceps militaris in submerged culture

Abstract

Cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine) is a nucleoside analog that exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activity. The effects of different tree sawdust on cordycepin as bioactive substances for mycelium growth were investigated. Pine sawdust was essential for increasing cordycepin content. Furthermore, a 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust produced the highest cordycepin yield. The cordycepin yield of mycelium in submerged culture was significantly increased when the particle size was 100-mesh and the weight was 20 g/L of 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust, with an increase of up to 38% compared to the control (only sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB)). The results demonstrated the effects of different tree sawdust on the biosynthesis of cordycepin as bioactive substances and that replacing traditional medium (SDB medium) with 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust can increase the yield of cordycepin. After optimization of cordycepin production from Cordyceps militaris cultivated in medium containing 1% NaOH-pretreated pine sawdust using RSM (response surface methodology) BBD (Box-Behnken design) in its canonical form, the optimum combination was: particle size, 113.7-mesh; input weight, 11.9 g/L; and incubation time, 67.8 h. The model predicted a maximum yield of 922.6 μg/mL for cordycepin.