Asian Journal of Mycology

Aqueous extract and proteolytic hydrolysates from oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) and its bioactivities

Pattana Kakumyan — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Pleurotus species are edible fungi that are extensively cultivated and consumed worldwide. Their fruiting bodies contain polysaccharides and proteins. Protein hydrolysates from oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus pulmonarius, were prepared using Alcalase® in this study. The isolated protein hydrolysates were filtered to produce fractions of molecular weights of less than 3 kDa and greater than 3 kDa. Following separation by ultrafiltration spin columns, the two fractions were utilized to assess antioxidant and anti-α-glucosidase activities, as well as cell viability in a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (SW480 cells). The effective concentration that scavenged 50% (IC50) of 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazl (DPPH) radicals exhibited a distinct pattern between the crude extract and protein fractions. The protein hydrolysate with a molecular weight exceeding 3 kDa showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity, whereas the crude extract protein fraction exhibited the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity. The crude extract protein demonstrated the highest inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase (62.48 ± 1.52%). Additionally, this study assessed cell viabilities in a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (SW480 cells). The results indicated that the crude extract protein markedly reduced the viability of the SW480 cell lines, as determined by the MTT assay. These findings indicate that crude extract and protein hydrolysates derived from the fruiting bodies of P. pulmonarius have numerous advantageous properties and may serve as a functional food ingredient.

Coniambigua diorygmatis and Distopyrenis graphidis: Two novel lichenicolous fungi on Graphidaceae from India

Pushpi Singh — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Two new lichenicolous fungi, Coniambigua diorygmatis and Distopyrenis graphidis, are described from India. Coniambigua diorygmatis is characterized by the black sporodochia producing dark brown, ellipsoidal, non-septate conidia and was found on the thallus of Diorygma junghuhnii, whereas D. graphidis is distinguished by perithecioid ascomata with an apical ostiole, 1-sepate, brown ascospores on Graphis stenotera.

Utilization of indigenous agricultural waste materials as biofilters in contaminated water

Goldyn Anne Aquino-Comisario — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Bioremediation using spent Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sp.) substrate (Pleurotus SMS), wood chips, and charcoal offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to water treatment. However, further study is needed to determine its application in Isabela province due to differences in the composition of mushroom spent substrate in the Philippines compared to those in other countries. Hence, this study was conducted to develop a prototype water treatment system integrated with different agricultural waste materials to treat heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), and Escherichia coli contamination in water. A prototype water treatment system with separate compartments for Pleurotus SMS (200 g), wood chips (70 g), and charcoal (180 g) as biosorbents was developed. Separate biofilter experiments for Cd and As, and E. coli were performed at various flow rates (1 mL/min, 5 mL/min, and 10 mL/min) and sampling times, and the percent removal and bacterial concentration were calculated. The water treatment system with mushroom spent substrate registered the highest efficiency at the slowest flow rate of 1 mL/min (i.e. 97% for Cd and 95% for As). However, of the two heavy metals, As significantly registered a higher percent removal than Cd, even at faster flow rates, suggesting that the filter had a greater affinity towards As than Cd. The decrease in E. coli levels from 154 CFU/mL to an average of 15 CFU/mL over 48 hours of filtration indicates that biofiltration could be a feasible substitute for conventional membrane-based methods. The fabricated water treatment system based on oyster mushroom spent substrate is effective for the removal of pathogens as well as Cd and As from contaminated water. These findings can be used as a basis for a sustainable solution for treating heavy metals from industrial wastewater and simultaneously solving the waste issue in mushroom farms.