Characterization of biomolecules of Agaricus subrufescens in submerged cultivation

• Grant number: 18/26658-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Diego Cunha Zied
• Grantee: Isabela de Arruda Palú
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The basis for the production of food comes from the simple choice of the variety to be used and which method of cultivation should be adopted to achieve the highest economic yield, producing foods of the maximum quality without environmental damages. This sentence also serves for the cultivation of mushrooms, a recent activity in the country, with great potential for exploration. The mushroom Agaricus subrufescens, popularly known as "Cogumelo do Sol®" or "medicinal mushroom", has natural Brazilian origin, being rich in minerals, proteins, polysaccharides and other biomolecules, which provides its use as a functional food. Since it is a medicinal mushroom, used to recover debilitated patients with a low immune system, the A. subrufescens production method should follow an intense traceability process and quality control. Thus, we intend to define the quality (content of ²-glucan, ergosterol and blazeispirol) of the final product. For this, we will evaluate the production system, using six different strains, starting from a submerged cultivation, which the evaluated product will be the mycelium. At the end of the project, we intend to elucidate the mechanisms of biomolecules production, which can result in processes and prototypes of "sustainable production principle", valuing a product of national origin, produced in a differentiated way, which will make it unique and extremely valued in the international market.