Abstract
Lentinus edodes, whose polysaccharides possess diverse bioactivities, commonly grows on hardwood sawdust composed of hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose. In this study the effect of hemicellulose and lignin on the growth of mycelia, as well as the physicochemical properties of polysaccharides from L. edodes mycelia (LEPs) were investigated. The antioxidant properties of LEPs were evaluated through radical scavenging assays in vitro and through the Caenorhabditis elegans model in vivo. The results showed that hemicellulose at a concentration of 4% increased the yield of the mycelia biomass to twice that of the control group. Meanwhile, when cultured with 4.0% hemicellulose, the polysaccharide content of the mycelia was raised by 112.2%. In addition, the appropriate concentration of lignin could stimulate mycelia growth and polysaccharide biosynthesis in L. edodes. Monosaccharide composition analysis showed that a higher content of xylose was found when mycelia were cultured with higher concentrations of hemicellulose. The molecular structure, including the molecular weight distribution and configuration type, was affected by hemicellulose and lignin. Antioxidant assays indicated that LEPs supplemented with hemicellulose and/or lignin possessed higher radical scavenging abilities in vitro and exhibited a thermal resistance effect on C. elegans, implying that the antioxidant effect is potent in vivo. In summary, the addition of hemicellulose and lignin improved the biosynthesis and bioactivity of LEPs.
Highlights
Polysaccharides are natural biomacromolecules that widely exist in animals, plants and microorganisms
In order to elucidate the role of lignocellulose in the biosynthesis and characteristics of LEPs, various combinations of hemicellulose and lignin were used as carbon source substitutes for L. edodes
To further analyze the polysaccharide properties and antioxidant activity, 0.1% lignin combined with 2% hemicellulose was used as an experimental carbon source for L. edodes
Summary
Polysaccharides are natural biomacromolecules that widely exist in animals, plants and microorganisms. The carbon source has been reported to affect the activity of key enzymes involved in the polysaccharide biosynthesis pathway, including phosphoglucose-mutase (PGM), UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) and glucosyltransferase (GT) [7]. Previous reports have shown that during the initial mycelia growth stage, it is much easier for L. edodes to use a more degradable carbon source, such as hemicellulose, rather than lignin and cellulose [12]. Since lignocellulose could affect the physicochemical properties of intracellular polysaccharides, it could impact the antioxidant properties of LEPs. Our research has showed that hemicellulose could promote the growth of mycelia, while lignin and cellulose had the opposite effect. In order to elucidate the role of lignocellulose in the biosynthesis and characteristics of LEPs, various combinations of hemicellulose and lignin were used as carbon source substitutes for L. edodes. Based on the obtained results, the relationship between the antioxidant activity and the structural characteristics of LEPs was examined
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