Ear Mushroom Research Articles

High Genetic Diversity in Wild Culinary-Medicinal Wood Ear Mushroom, Auricularia polytricha (Mont.) Sacc., in Tropical China Revealed by ISSR Analysis

The genetic diversity of 40 wild Auricularia polytricha strains within ten natural populations in tropical China and five cultivated strains were analyzed by using twelve inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. At the species level, the percentage of polymorphic loci (P) = 99.8%, the effective number of alleles (Ne) = 1.3569, Nei's gene diversity (H) = 0.2398, Shannon information index (I) = 0.3896, and total genetic diversity (Ht)= 0.2346 indicate a high level of genetic diversity in wild A. polytricha. At the population level of the wild fungus, P = 43.51%, Ne = 1.2675, H = 0.1702, I = 0.2504. However, the genetic diversity of cultivated strains was the lowest of all populations (Ne = 1.1584, H = 0.0940, I = 0.1440). A moderate degree of genetic differentiation (G(st) = 0.347) among the sampled wild populations was detected based on Nei's gene diversity analysis, suggesting that 65.3% of variation existed within this population. The high genetic variation level within wild populations may mostly result from a low level of gene flow (N = 0.9408) and random genetic drift.

톱밥재배에 의한 목이의 자실체 생산

Auricularia auricula-judae is an edible mushroom, which is known as wood ear, free ear, black ear mushroom, and free jelly fish. Present experiments were conducted to determine the possibility of artificial cultivation with oak sawdust of A. auricula-judae. The duration of mycelial growth and days of pinhead formation on oak sawdust bag (1.4 kg) were 29~32 days and 13~17 days, respectively. The yield of fresh fruit-body was 275~350 g.

QUALITY OF BREAD SUPPLEMENTED WITH SILVER EAR

ABSTRACT Silver ear (Tremella fuciformis Berkeley) was used to substitute wheat flour to make bread. Bread quality including specific volume, color and sensory evaluation, and taste components including proximate composition, soluble sugars, free amino acids and 5′‐nucleotides in bread supplemented with silver ear were analyzed and compared with those of white bread. White bread and 5% silver ear bread had a comparable proximate composition. Specific volumes of 2% and 5% silver ear breads and white bread were 4.02, 3.96 and 3.79 cm3/g, respectively. Both breads contained considerately low amounts of monosodium glutamate‐like and sweet components of free amino acids and flavor 5′‐nucleotides. The white bread looked lighter and whiter than 5% silver ear bread. All sensory results indicated that two breads were moderately acceptable. Overall, silver ear could be incorporated into bread to provide its beneficial health effects.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSilver ear mushroom (Tremella fuciformis Berkeley) is commonly used as food in Oriental countries and is also a traditional Chinese medicine. The mushroom can be added to food as a supplement to extend and broaden its consumption and provide the beneficial health effects through various food products. Bread is consumed all over the world and many food ingredients have been included in bread formulation to increase its diversity, nutritional value and product appeal. Accordingly, the mushroom was used to substitute wheat flour to make bread. Bread quality including specific volume, color and sensory evaluation, and taste components including proximate composition, soluble sugars, free amino acids and 5′‐nucleotides in silver ear bread were valuable information for its practical application. The present work showed that silver ear could be incorporated into bread to provide its beneficial health effects.

설사(泄瀉)의 식료방법(食療方法)에 관한 연구(硏究)

Objectives : This research examined about dietary therapy on the diarrhea based on the literary findings, for clinical treatment and prevention of the diarrhea. Methods : This Research examined on histories, compositions, applications, and effects of the diarrhea on about 100 cases of dietary therapy of the diarrhea from recent Chinese literatures Results : 1. Various vegetables, animals and mineral materials including herbs, grains, vegetables, fruits, food and drink were used for the dietary therapy. 2. Methods of the preparation for use as therapeutics were decoction, pulvis, gruel, medicinal wine, cake, tea, paste and gelatin and etc. 3. Frequently used materials were sesame oil, honey, ear mushroom, shiitake mushroom, kelp, walnut seed, hemp seed, groundnut, glutinous rice, apricot stone, yellow bean peel, radish, potato, spinage, and spring onion. Conclusion : Though dietary therapy for the diarrhea is not based on clinical or experimental data, but through experience. It is mostly based on Yin-Yang and five elements, visceral manifestation, channels and their collateral channels and chinese herbal medicine theories. If we use them properly according to oriental medicine method, it will be effective on treating and preventing the diarrhea.

Isolation and characterization of an immunomodulatory protein (APP) from the Jew's Ear mushroom Auricularia polytricha

A new immunomodulatory protein (APP) was purified from the fruiting body of an edible Jew's Ear mushroom, Auricularia polytricha, by extraction using 5% cold acetic acid in the presence of 0.1% 2-mercaptoethanol, followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DE-52 and MonoQ anion-exchange chromatography. As determined by electrophoresis techniques, the molecular mass of APP is around 13.4 kDa and its pI is approximately 5.1. APP is a simple protein without carbohydrate, and can agglutinate mouse red blood cells. APP alone activates murine splenocytes, markedly increasing their proliferation and gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) secretion, and presents no cytotoxicity in vitro. Although murine splenocytes are stimulated by the mitogen concanavalin A (ConA), APP suppresses their proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. APP (5–20 μg/ml) also enhances the production of both nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) by LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. These findings suggest that APP is an immune stimulant and can strengthen the immune response of its host.

Cases from the Osler Medical Service at Johns Hopkins University

Presenting featuresA 77-year-old Chinese man with hypertension presented with spontaneous bruising that worsened over several months. In addition to his prescription medications (enalapril, terazosin, and hydrochlorothiazide/triamterene), he was also taking wood ear mushroom and Chinese tea. He denied any use of aspirin or other over-the-counter medications. He had no prior history of bruising or bleeding, and there was no family history of bleeding diathesis.Physical examination revealed a thin, elderly man in no distress. He was afebrile, with a blood pressure of 159/81 mm Hg and a pulse of 86 beats per minute. A grade II/VI early diastolic murmur was present at the left upper sternal border. The chest examination was normal, and the abdominal examination revealed no masses or areas of tenderness. The extremity examination revealed right ankle edema and a large ecchymosis that extended from the right posterior thigh to the ankle (Figure 1). There were also smaller ecchymoses on the abdomen and on the extensor surfaces of the arms (Figure 2). Laboratory studies were notable for a hematocrit of 25%, with a mean corpuscular volume of 93.3 fL and a platelet count of 110,000/mm3. The reticulocyte count was 2.8%, lactate dehydrogenase level was 234 IU/L (normal, 122 to 220 IU/L), and haptoglobin level was <6 mg/dL (normal, 36 to 95 mg/dL). The international normalized ratio was 1.4, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was 34.5 seconds (normal, 23.4 to 33.5 seconds), and bleeding time was normal at 4.0 minutes. A mixing study corrected the aPTT with a 1:1 dilution. The fibrinogen level was 114 mg/dL (normal, 150 to 450 mg/dL), fibrin degradation products were positive at a 1:32 dilution, and a D-dimer test was positive at a 1:8 dilution. A peripheral blood smear showed a low platelet count, normochromic red blood cells, and fragmented red blood cells (Figure 3). What is the diagnosis?

Antioxidant properties of methanolic extracts from several ear mushrooms.

Five kinds of ear mushrooms are commercially available in Taiwan, including black, red, jin, snow, and silver ears. Methanolic extracts were prepared from these ear mushrooms, and their antioxidant properties were studied. For all methanolic extracts from ear mushrooms, the antioxidant activities in the 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid method were moderate (38.6 approximately 74.6%) at 1.0-5.0 mg/mL. Methanolic extracts from red, jin, and snow ears showed excellent antioxidant activities in the conjugated diene method at 5.0 mg/mL. At 5.0 mg/mL, reducing powers of methanolic extracts were in the descending order of snow > black approximately red approximately jin > silver ears. The scavenging effect of methanolic extracts from ear mushrooms on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals was excellent except for that from silver ears. Ear mushroom extracts were not good scavengers for hydroxyl free radicals but were good chelators for ferrous ions. Naturally occurring antioxidants, including ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and total phenols, were found in the methanolic extracts. However, beta-carotene was not detected. Total antioxidant components were 15.69, 30.09, 27.83, 49.17, and 31.70 mg/g for black, red, jin, snow, and silver ears, respectively.

Nonvolatile Taste Components of Ear Mushrooms

Five kinds of ear mushrooms are commercially available in Taiwan, including black, red, jin, snow, and silver ears. Ash contents ranged from 2.05 to 6.14% of dry weight. Carbohydrate contents ranged from 68.88 to 88.14%. The jin and snow ears contained high amounts of crude fat (4.48 and 4.54%, respectively). The jin and snow ears also contained high amounts of crude fiber (11.69 and 8.51%, respectively). Crude protein contents were high in the black and snow ears (15.46 and 12.53%, respectively). Ear mushrooms contained very low amounts of soluble sugars but high amounts of other reducing sugars. Total free amino acid contents ranged from 0.53 to 1.24 mg/g. Monosodium glutamate-like component contents ranged from 0.05 to 0.34 mg/g. Sweet component contents ranged from 0.17 to 0.50 mg/g. Bitter component content was high in the silver ear. Total 5'-nucleotides contents ranged from 0.69 to 5.39 mg/g. Flavor 5'-nucleotide contents were high in the snow and jin ears. In this study, the five kinds were considerably different in both their proximate compositions and taste components.

Preliminary studies on the biology of the pest mite Luciaphorus auriculariae (Acari: Pygmephoridae) infesting Jew's ear mushroom Auricularia polytricha in China

The mite, Luciaphorus auriculariae Gao et al. recently discovered in Fujian Province, China, is regarded as a destructive mite to the commercial production of jew's ear mushroom, Auricularia polytricha, causing a 10–50% to total loss of the crop.

Textural Degradation of Cooked Fish Meat Gel (Kamaboko) by the Addition of an Edible Mushroom, Judas' Ear (Auricularia auriculajudae (Fr.) Quel)

ABSTRACTCommercial makers of kamaboko, a traditional Japanese preparation of gelled cooked fish meat, have observed that when slivers of the edible Judas' ear mushroom (Auricularia auricula‐judue (Fr.) Quel) are incorporated into the gel without being cooked first, the gel tends to have an unsatisfactory texture. Experiments with casein as substrate have already shown that this mushroom has a proteinase. We showed that the proteinase acted on fish myofibrillar proteins, including myosin, actin, and tropomyosin. In kamaboko containing Judas' ear mushroom uncooked, fish proteins were hydrolyzed and gel strength decreased. The results showed that the decrease in gel strength was caused by the hydrolysis of fish proteins by the proteinase.