Comparison of the Nutritional Properties and Transcriptome Profiling Between the Two Different Harvesting Periods of Auricularia polytricha

Auricularia polytricha (A. polytricha), regarded as an edible and medical mushroom, has attracted toward the research interests because of the high nutrition and bioactivity. The nutritional and medical properties of A. polytricha have been well-studied; however, research about the difference of the nutritional properties and transcriptome profiling between the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha was limited. In this study, the nutritional properties and transcriptome profiling were compared between the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha: AP_S1 (the stage for the first harvesting period) and AP_S2 (the stage for the third harvesting period). This study showed that AP_S1 had the more growth advantages than AP_S2 including biomass, auricle area and thickness, protein and calcium contents, and most species of the amino acid contents, which contributed to the higher sensory evaluation and acceptability of AP_S1. Transcriptome profiling showed that a total of 30,298 unigenes were successfully annotated in the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha. At a threshold of two-fold change, 1,415 and 3,213 unigenes were up- and downregulated, respectively. All the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis showed that the some synthesis and metabolic processes were strengthened in AP_S1, especially the synthesis and metabolism of the amino acids and protein. The enhanced energy metabolism pathways could provide more energy for AP_S1 to synthesize the nutritional substance. Moreover, the expressions of 10 selected DEGs involved in the amino acid and protein synthesis pathways and energy metabolism pathways were higher in AP_S1 compared to AP_S2, consistent with Illumina analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that compares the nutritional properties and transcriptome profiling between the two different harvesting periods of A. polytricha and the results can present insights into the growth and genetic characteristics of A. polytricha.

Neuroprotective Effects against Glutamate-Induced HT-22 Hippocampal Cell Damage and Caenorhabditis elegans Lifespan/Healthspan Enhancing Activity of Auricularia polytricha Mushroom Extracts

Oxidative stress is associated with several diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases, commonly found in the elderly. The attenuation of oxidative status is one of the alternatives for neuroprotection and anti-aging. Auricularia polytricha (AP), an edible mushroom, contains many therapeutic properties, including antioxidant properties. Herein, we report the effects of AP extracts on antioxidant, neuroprotective, and anti-aging activities. The neuroprotective effect of AP extracts against glutamate-induced HT-22 neuronal damage was determined by evaluating the cytotoxicity, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and expression of antioxidant enzyme genes. Lifespan and healthspan assays were performed to examine the effects of AP extracts from Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that ethanolic extract (APE) attenuated glutamate-induced HT-22 cytotoxicity and increased the expression of antioxidant enzyme genes. Moreover, APE promoted in the longevity and health of the C. elegans. Chemical analysis of the extracts revealed that APE contains the highest quantity of flavonoids and a reasonable percentage of phenols. The lipophilic compounds in APE were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), revealing that APE mainly contains linoleic acid. Interestingly, linoleic acid suppressed neuronal toxicity and ROS accumulation from glutamate induction. These results indicate that AP could be an exciting natural source that may potentially serves as neuroprotective and anti-aging agents.

Spatial and regional directory of tropical Auricularia mushrooms in Southwest, Nigeria

Bioremediation of wastelands and dumpsites in Africa is fast declining due to reduced mushroom populations. In the past, the forest of Africa was teaming with mushrooms, but nowadays; mushrooms are severely exploited, resulting in gradual drift to extinction. Mushrooms have the tendency to degrade recalcitrant wastes and absorb heavy metals (Bio-accumulation). Unless concerted efforts are made to rejuvenate or rescue the surviving mushroom population, Africa will one day be overshadowed by wastes. The mushroom diversity in Southwest, Nigeria was determined by both morphological and molecular markers, 14 primers (OPB-11, OPB-12, OPB-15, OPB-20, OPB-21, OPH-3, OPH-5, OPH-10, OPH-15, OPT-1, OPT-5, OPT-7, OPT-10 and OPT-19) produced polymorphism with the test samples under electrophoresis gel (PCR and RAPD). Using standard morphological markers, Auricularia auricula was found to be evenly distributed across 8 locations in Ekiti and Osun, 6 locations in Ogun, 5 locations in Oyo and 4 locations in Lagos. There was none identified in Ondo. Auricularia polytricha was found in abundance in all the locations in Ondo. Lagos only had 3 out of its outline Stations graced with the presence of A. polytricha, whereas, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo had no records of A. polytricha. From the genetic dissimilarity chart, 6 clusters of mushroom, sub-characterized into 3 distinct species (Auricularia polytricha, A. auricula and an unrelated Auricularia outlier species) and 5 cultivars were obtained in the region of Southwest, Nigeria. The population of all the Auricularia mushrooms currently present in Southwest, Nigeria was effectively captioned (Location, type and identity) by this research.

Auricularia polytricha ethanol crude extract from sequential maceration induces lipid accumulation and inflammatory suppression in RAW264.7 macrophages

Using LC-MS combine with in silico approch, we predict that 15d-PGJ2-G is a bioactive compound in Auricularia polytricha ethanol crude interacted with PPARγ to regulate lipid accumulation and anti-inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages.