In the present investigation, the conditions for in vitro submerged culture of a native strain of Ganoderma sp. were evaluated. Different culture medium ingredients, inoculum concentrations, inoculation methods, configuration, and airflows were evaluated to improve biomass production. The addition of thiamine and olive oil to the culture medium increased biomass production, as well as inoculating 6.6 g/L since there are no significant differences in biomass growth according to inoculum origin (pre-inoculum, discs or with spores). The best configuration of the 3 L stirred tank bioreactor was using three impellers and a porous air diffuser of 0.25 volume per volume per minute (vvm), the dry biomass concentration was 22.6 g/L after 12 days of cultivation at 30 °C, much higher than other investigations. This study provides relevant information for pilot-scale production of this fungus for future secondary metabolites. The culture medium was optimized, and it was defined that the concentration and origin of the inoculum did not influence the growth of Biomass, but the aeration and the configuration of the system allowed the establishment of protocols for the cultivation of Ganoderma sp.

Existe una gran diversidad de hongos que poseen actividad medicinal en Centroamérica y de ellos se pueden extraer los metabolitos secundarios responsables y adecuados para el tratamiento de distintas enfermedades. En esta revisión se realizó una investigación acerca de seis hongos específicos que se utilizan para el tratamiento de padecimientos físicos: Penicillium chrysogenum (P. chrysogenum), Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum), Trametes versicolor (T. versicolor), Schizophyllum commune (S. commune), Pleurotus mutilus (P. mutilus), Lentinula edodes (L. edodes), y un último hongo que tiene propiedades alucinógenas útiles en el tratamiento de enfermedades mentales: Psilocybe cubensis (P. cubensis). Se encontró que los metabolitos secundarios de mayor importancia para la industria médica son la penicilina y la tiamulina como antibióticos, los triterpenos por su actividad anticancerígena, diversos tipos de polisacáridos que tienen actividad antioxidante, antiparasitarios, estimulantes del sistema inmune y reguladores del colesterol. Asimismo, se estudió el alucinógeno psilocibina y su potencial en tratamientos de psicoterapia.

The use of substances or conditions as elicitors can significantly increase the production of secondary metabolites. In this research, the effects of different elicitors on the production of antioxidant secondary metabolites were evaluated in a strain of Ganoderma sp. The elicitors tested were pH changes in different growth phases of the fungus (pH 3, 5.5 and 8), different concentrations of peptone as a nitrogen source (1 g/L and 10 g/L), and the addition of chemical agents to the culture medium (ethanol, growth regulators, and salts). The alkaline pH during the stationary phase and the high availability of nitrogen were effective elicitors, producing cultures with higher antioxidant activity (37.87 g/L and 43.13 g/L dry biomass) although there were no significant differences with other treatments.