Fungi Food

7 Key excerpts on "Fungi Food"

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  eBook - ePub

  Fungi in Ecosystem Processes

  • John Dighton(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  CHAPTER 5 Fungi and Secondary Productivity Fungi are an important component of the food supply to many grazing animals. How many of us have picked a mushroom in the woods, only to find it riddled with holes and full of fly larvae and other invertebrates? In many European countries, wild mushrooms are an important component of people’s diet. In recent times, however, the cultivation of mushrooms by commercial growers has become more important than personal fungal forays, especially as the commercial production of mushrooms is independent of season. Indeed, the value of mushrooms as a food source for humans has driven mushroom sales to reach about $1.2 billion (USDA, 2015) in the United States in 2013–2014. It is therefore not surprising that a number of vertebrate and invertebrate animals consume mushrooms as part of their diet (Cave, 1997). Fungi are rich in important nutrients, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, minerals, and vitamins (Fogel, 1976; Grönwall and Pehrson, 1984) (Table 5.1). Clinton et al. (1999) measured the nutrient content of fungal fruit bodies (mushrooms of both mycorrhizal and saprotrophic basidiomycetes) of a Nothofagus forest floor and showed that all elements other than calcium are more concentrated in fungal tissue than the forest floor material. This suggests that fungi would be preferred food resources for many animals. However, much of the nitrogen they contain is in complex forms, such as indigestible cell walls (Cork and Kenagy, 1989a). Thus, for animals to effectively utilize the nutrients in fungi, they must have a complex community of gut symbionts to assist in the breakdown of these compounds. Indeed, experiments conducted by Cork and Kenagy (1989b) showed that the weight of ground squirrels declined when fed entirely on fruit bodies of the hypogeous ectomycorrhizal fungus, Elaphomyces granulatus, as more than 80% of the nitrogen was locked up in complex forms and could not be made available in the digestive tract of these animals

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  eBook - PDF

  Introduction to Fungi

  • Davis, Z(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Agri Horti Press

    (Publisher)

  These complex organic materials may remain in the soil for decades. This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. Fungal Ecology 187 Ecology Although often inconspicuous, fungi occur in every environment on Earth and play very important roles in most ecosystems. Along with bacteria, fungi are the major decomposers in most terrestrial (and some aquatic) ecosystems, and therefore play a critical role in biogeochemical cycles and in many food webs. As decomposers, they play an essential role in nutrient cycling, especially as saprotrophs and symbionts, degrading organic matter to inorganic molecules, which can then re-enter anabolic metabolic pathways in plants or other organisms. Symbiosis Many fungi have important symbiotic relationships with organisms from most if not all Kingdoms. These interactions can be mutualistic or antagonistic in nature, or in the case of commensal fungi are of no apparent benefit or detriment to the host. With Plants Mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and fungi is one of the most well-known plant - fungus associations and is of significant importance for plant growth and persistence in many ecosystems; over 90% of all plant species engage in mycorrhizal relationships with fungi and are dependent upon this relationship for survival. The mycorrhizal symbiosis is ancient, dating to at least 400 million years ago. It often increases the plant's uptake of inorganic compounds, such as nitrate and phosphate from soils having low concentrations of these key plant nutrients. The fungal partners may also mediate plant-to-plant transfer of carbohydrates and other nutrients. Such mycorrhizal communities are calledcommon mycorrhizal networks. A special case of mycorrhiza is myco-heterotrophy, whereby the plant parasitizes the fungus, obtaining all of its nutrients from its fungal symbiont. Some fungal species inhabit the tissues inside roots, stems, and leaves, in which case they are called endophytes.

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  eBook - ePub

  New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering

  Recent Advances in Application of Fungi and Fungal Metabolites: Environmental and Industrial Aspects

  • Joginder Singh Panwar, Praveen Gehlot, Joginder Singh(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Elsevier

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 19

  Importance and recent aspects of fungi-based food ingredients

  Simranjeet Singha , b , c ; Daljeet Singh Dhanjala ; Siddharth Thotapallia ; Sonalid ; Parvarish Sharmae ; Joginder Singha , *     

  a Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India

  b Punjab Biotechnology Incubator, Mohali, Punjab, India

  c Regional Advanced Water Testing Laboratory, Mohali, Punjab, India

  d Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India

  e School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India

  * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

  Abstract

  Fungi act as a source of food, and many food ingredients are synthesized by fungi, including proteins, carotenoids, and others. Fungi have been exploited for their potential to ferment fruits and grains for the production of alcoholic beverages, bread, and cheese. Fungi and their components are used not only as food but they are also used in industries and pharmaceuticals. Bioprocess techniques were used for the production of acid using fungal sources. Certain advancements like the selection of nontoxic fungal species, enhanced knowledge of nutritional requirements, regulation of biosynthetic compounds at the molecular level, and genetic engineering have raised interest and led to the production of safe food-grade fermented food products with high yields.

  Keywords

  Fungal biomass; Fermentation; Mycoprotein; Organic acids; Enzymes

  19.1 Introduction

  Fungi grow as symbionts on trees or are decomposers on lignocellulosic woody biomasses, and from ancient times they have been used as a food source (Skelton et al., 2020 ). Fungi belonging to basidiomycetes and ascomycetes bear fruiting bodies that are edible. These fruiting bodies are otherwise considered a poor source of nutrients, except that they are rich in proteins and low in fat (Kaliyaperumal et al., 2018 ). So, in order to enhance production of fruiting bodies, fungi like shiitake, truffles, and oyster mushrooms are inoculated on trees and allowed to grow in the natural environment. Fungi bioremediate soil polluted with heavy metals and radioactive compounds and therefore should be consumed in moderate amounts (Hyde et al., 2019 ). Mushroom species such as truffles, morels, and boletus are considered delicacies, but are difficult to cultivate, with some exceptions like Morchella rufobrunnea (Masaphy, 2010 ). For thousands of years in Asia, saprobic species like Agaricus bisporus , Lentinus edodes (shiitake), and Pleurotus ostreatus have been produced on an industrial scale (Rahi and Malik, 2016 ). A few phytopathogenic fungi are also consumed, like Ustilago maydis . In Mexico, this fungus forms black tumors over maize, which are a delicacy known as huitlacoche (Aydoğdu and Gölükçü, 2017 ). Fungi also play a significant role in traditional as well as indigenous cultures and are utilized for producing beverages (like beer, cider, wine, etc.) and fermented food products (like bread, cheese, rice, etc.) as well as for their hallucinogenic properties (Anal, 2019 ) (Fig. 19.1

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  eBook - PDF

  Fungal Biology

  • J. W. Deacon(Author)
  • 2009(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 11 Fungal ecology: saprotrophs This chapter is divided into the following major sections: • a theoretical model: the concept of life-history strategies • the biochemical and molecular toolbox for fungal ecology • a “universal” decomposition sequence • the fungal community of composts • fungal decomposers in the root zone • fungal communities in decaying wood The importance of fungi in ecosystem processes is unde- niable. Fungi are the main agents of decomposition in many terrestrial and aquatic environments. They are particularly important in the breakdown and recycl- ing of cellulose and hemicelluloses, which together account for nearly 70% of all the plant wall material that is recycled annually. In addition, fungi have a unique role in degrading woody substrates, which contain cellulose intimately complexed with lignin (lignocellulose). And, fungi degrade many other natural and manmade materials, causing serious economic losses. In previous chapters we dealt with the physiology, growth, genetics, and dispersal of fungi – the basis for understanding fungal ecology. But when we turn to fungi in natural environments we face a major problem, because natural communities are extremely complex: they contain many types of substrate, interacting species, and microhabitats. Therefore, at a practical level we need to find well-defined com- munities that can be dissected to provide key insights into fungal behavior. We will do this by focusing on a few natural “model” systems that have been well researched – the leaf zone, leaf litter, the root zone, self-heating composts, and wood decay. The principles derived from these natural model systems apply more generally across the fungal kingdom. We will also explore the biochemical and molecular toolbox that enables us to track and identify fungi in complex natural materials.

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  Fungal Biology

  • J. W. Deacon(Author)
  • 2013(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 6

  Fungal nutrition

  This chapter is divided into the following major sections:

  • the basic nutrient requirements of fungi
  • carbon and energy sources of fungi
  • fungal adaptations for nutrient capture
  • the breakdown of cellulose: a case study of extracellular enzymes
  • mineral nutrient requirements: nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron
  • efficiency of substrate utilization
  • fungi that cannot be cultured

  Fungi have quite simple nutritional requirements. They need a source of organic nutrients to supply their energy and to supply carbon skeletons for cellular synthesis. But, given a simple energy source such as glucose, many fungi can synthesize all their other cellular components from inorganic sources – ammonium or nitrate ions, phosphate ions and trace levels of other minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Fungi that normally grow in a host environment or in other nutrient-rich substrates might require additional components, but still the nutrient requirements of most fungi are quite simple.

  Having said this, fungi need to capture nutrients from their surroundings. The cell wall prevents fungi from engulfing food particles, so fungi absorb simple, soluble nutrients through the wall and plasma membrane. In many cases this is achieved by releasing enzymes to degrade complex polymers and then absorbing the nutrients released by these depolymerase

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  eBook - PDF

  Mouthfeel

  How Texture Makes Taste

  • Ole Mouritsen, Klavs Styrbæk, Mariela Johansen(Authors)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • Columbia University Press

    (Publisher)

  What Makes Up Our Food? Virtually all our food is of biological origin and comes from the tree of life. We eat living organisms, or parts of living organisms that were once alive, from a broad range of sources: plants, animals, fungi, and algae. Even bacteria con-tribute to our nutritional intake, although we rarely give this a second thought when we eat a dairy product, such as yogurt, that contains live lactic acid bac-teria. More amazingly, these microorganisms take up residence in our digestive system, which is host to a thriving community of approximately 100 trillion essential bacteria, or about ten times as many of these unicellular organisms as there are total cells in the human body itself. This is equivalent to about 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of bacteria and may include up to 1,000 different types. When these diverse sources are turned into food, we can think of them as raw materials that are made up of the same building blocks as living organisms— that is, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and nucleic acids. Added to these are min-erals, trace elements, vitamins, and above all, water, the largest component. Seen through the eyes of a physicist, biological materials are what are called soft condensed matter—they are flexible, they can be bent, and their shape can be altered. Living organisms also avail themselves of rigid materials to support and protect their soft parts—for example, inner skeletons and cara-paces made of calcium and chitin. Nevertheless, biological materials are first and foremost characterized as soft, a condition that is absolutely necessary for their very existence and for being able to carry out those functions that we associate with life. In the course of human evolution, our sensory system, including mouthfeel, has been especially designed and fine-tuned to explore this characteristic of softness so as to determine whether biological materials are potentially edible.

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  Ecology

  From Individuals to Ecosystems

  • Michael Begon, Colin R. Townsend, John L. Harper(Authors)
  • 2009(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  Finally, animal feces, whether pro- duced by detritivores, microbivores, herbivores, carnivores or parasites, are a further category of resource for decomposers and detritivores. They are composed of dead organic material that is chemically related to what their producers have been eating. The remainder of this chapter is in two parts. In Section 11.2 we describe the ‘actors’ in the saprotrophic ‘play’, and consider the relative roles of the bacteria and fungi on the one hand, and the detritivores on the other. Then, in Section 11.3, we consider, in turn, the problems and processes involved in the consumption by detritivores of plant detritus, feces and carrion. 11.2 The organisms 11.2.1 Decomposers: bacteria and fungi If scavengers do not take a dead resource immediately it dies (such as hyenas consuming a dead zebra), the process of decomposi- tion usually starts with colonization by bacteria and fungi. Other changes may occur at the same time: enzymes in the dead tissue may start to autolyze it and break down the carbohydrates and proteins into simpler, soluble forms. The dead material may also become leached by rainfall or, in an aquatic environment, may lose minerals and soluble organic compounds as they are washed out in solution. Bacteria and fungal spores are omnipresent in the air and the water, and are usually present on (and often in) dead material before it is dead. They usually have first access to a resource. These early colonists tend to use soluble materials, mainly amino acids and sugars that are freely diffusible. They lack the array of enzymes necessary for digesting structural materials such as cellulose, lignin, chitin and keratin. Many species of Penicillium, Mucor and Rhizopus, the so-called ‘sugar fungi’ in soil, grow fast in the early phases of decomposition. Together with bacteria having similar opportunistic physiologies, they tend to undergo population explosions on newly dead substrates.

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