Comparative Transcriptome and Endophytic Bacterial Community Analysis of Morchella conica SH

The precious rare edible fungus Morchella conica is popular worldwide for its rich nutrition, savory flavor, and varieties of bioactive components. Due to its high commercial, nutritional, and medicinal value, it has always been a hot spot. However, the molecular mechanism and endophytic bacterial communities in M. conica were poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the genome of M. conica SH. Transcriptome analysis reveals significant differences between the mycelia and fruiting body. As shown in this study, 1,329 and 2,796 genes were specifically expressed in the mycelia and fruiting body, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment showed that RNA polymerase II transcription activity-related genes were enriched in the mycelium-specific gene cluster, and nucleotide binding-related genes were enriched in the fruiting body-specific gene cluster. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes in different development stages resulted in finding two groups with distinct expression patterns. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment displays that glycan degradation and ABC transporters were enriched in the group 1 with low expressed level in the mycelia, while taurine and hypotaurine metabolismand tyrosine metabolism-related genes were significantly enriched in the group 2 with high expressed level in mycelia. Moreover, a dynamic shift of bacterial communities in the developing fruiting body was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, and co-expression analysis suggested that bacterial communities might play an important role in regulating gene expression. Taken together, our study provided a better understanding of the molecular biology of M. conica SH and direction for future research on artificial cultivation.

Evaluation of the Hypoglycemic Activity of Morchella conica by Targeting Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B

Morchella conica (M. conica) Pers. is one of six wild edible mushrooms that are widely used by Asian and European countries for their nutritional value. The present study assessed the anti-diabetic potential of M. conica methanolic extract (100 mg/kg body weight) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. STZ was used in a single dose of 65 mg/kg to establish diabetic models. Body weights, water/food intake and fasting blood glucose levels were measured. Histopathological analysis of the pancreas and liver were performed to evaluate STZ-induced tissue injuries. In addition, in vitro assays such as α-amylase and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitory, antiglycation, antioxidant and cytotoxicity were performed. The in vitro study indicated potent PTP1B inhibitory potential of M. conica with an IC50 value of 26.5 μg/ml as compared to the positive control, oleanolic acid (IC50 36.2 μg/ml). In vivo investigation showed a gradual decrease in blood sugar level in M. conica-treated mice (132 mg/dl) at a concentration of 100 mg/kg as compared to diabetic mice (346 mg/dl). The extract positively improved liver and kidney damages as were shown by their serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetate, alkaline phosphatase, serum creatinine and urea levels. Histopathological analysis revealed slight liver and pancreas improvement of mice treated with extract. Cytotoxicity assays displayed lower IC50 values. Based on the present results of the study, it may be inferred that M. conica are rich in bioactive compounds responsible for antidiabetic activity and this mushroom may be a potential source of antidiabetic drug. However, further studies are required in terms of isolation of bioactive compounds to validate the observed results.

Antioxidant Potentials of morel mushroom (Morchella conica Pers.) from Nepal

Oxidative stress contributes to the aging process and raises the risk of several chronic diseases. In recent years, natural antioxidants are being explored intensively for their ability to protect organisms and cells from oxidative stress-induced harm. Furthermore, mushrooms are widely used as a source of natural therapies for a variety of ailments caused by oxidative stress. In this study antioxidant activities of Morchella conica Pers. extracts obtained with methanol were investigated. This is supposed to be the first report of the antioxidant activity of morel mushroom from Nepal. Five complimentary test systems; namely DPPH free radical scavenging, total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid, ascorbic acid, and carotenoid concentration were used. At concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 μg/ml the methanol extracts scavenged 69, 69, 70, 68 and 81% DPPH radicals. The total phenolic content of the extracts was 4.304±0.12 mg/g gallic acid equivalent. The total flavonoid compound concentration was measured as 0.381±0.00 mg/g quercetin equivalent. The concentrations of ascorbic acid were recorded 19±0.02 mg/g dry sample. β-carotene and lycopene detected in the extract of M. conica are 0.020±0.001 and 0.021±0.002 μg/ml respectively. Finally, the findings of this study demonstrated that M. conica has a high antioxidant activity, making it potentially effective in antioxidant therapy and therapeutic intervention in oxidative stress-related disorders.