Formation of biologically active compounds by Siberian <I>Cordyceps militaris</I> (L.) Fr. strains

Fungal strains isolated in the Krasnoyarsk Territory from dead caterpillars of the Siberian silkworm Dendrolimus sibiricus Tschetverikov, found in the litter and crown of Abies sibirica Ledeb., based on morphological and genetic methods, were assigned to the species Cordyceps militaris (L.) Fr. The strains are highly active producers of bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides (PS), adenosine and cordysinin B. Cordysinin B was first discovered in the species C. militaris. It was found that the production of PS was more influenced by the method of growing mushrooms than by the carbon substrate. The highest production of PS (6.0‒6.7 g/l) and nucleosides (390 mg/l) of C. militaris 11-5 was observed during submerged cultivation on sucrose using aminopeptide. When studying the bio synthesis of PS during the growth of the fungus, it was found that the synthesized PS are consumed by the culture when the concentration of the carbon substrate in the environment decreases and, apparently, s erve as reserve sources of carbon.