Effect of conifer cones extracts on biomass and polysaccharide production using Fomes fomentarius TMF2 mycelium

Medicinal fungi have a long tradition of usage in Asia. They have been recognized as sources of immunomodulators, prebiotics, antimicrobials, antioxidants, anticarcinogenic, and antidiabetic substances. The Western scientific community has expressed interest in this topic in recent years. It has been proven that many of those beneficial properties are owed to polysaccharides. The primary source of polysaccharides is the fruiting body of the mushroom. However, submerged-cultivated mycelia produce exopolysaccharides (EPS). They are secreted into the liquid medium and easily isolated by ethanolic precipitation. Moreover, intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) can be isolated from mycelia. Plant extracts could stimulate polysaccharide production. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of three different conifer cone extracts, i.e., thuja (Thuja orientalis), spruce (Picea excelsa), and cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), on the biomass and polysaccharide production by the mycelium of the medicinal fungus Fomes fomentarius TMF2 during submerged fermentation.