Aims:  The medicinal fungi Inonotus xeranticus and Phellinus linteus in the family Hymenochaetaceae have been used as traditional medicines for the treatment of various diseases. However, the compound responsible for the antioxidant activity is still unknown. Therefore, this study was conducted to characterize the antioxidant substances present in cultured broths made from these fungi. Methods and Results:  Antioxidant fractions of the cultured broths obtained from I. xeranticus and P. linteus were analysed using reversed‐phase HPLC, which revealed several peaks that exhibited a potent free radical scavenging activity. To identify these antioxidant peaks, an I. xeranticus strain was mass‐cultured, and the cultured broth was separated using antioxidant activity‐guided fractionation. Four major active substances were purified and identified as hispidin and its dimers, 3,14′‐bihispidinyl, hypholomine B, and 1,1‐distyrylpyrylethan based on spectroscopic analyses. All compounds exhibited a significant scavenging activity against these radical species in a concentration‐dependent manner. Conclusions:  Antioxidant substances found in the cultured broths of the medicinal fungi I. xeranticus and P. linteus were identified as hispidin and its dimers, 3,14′‐bihispidinyl, hypholomine B, and 1,1‐distyrylpyrylethan. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Polyphenol antioxidants were isolated from the cultured broth of the medicinal fungi I. xeranticus and P. linteus and identified based on extensive spectroscopic analyses. These compounds exhibited a strong antioxidant activity.

Distinguishing individual Russula species has been difficult due to extensive phenotypic plasticity and obscure morphological and anatomical discontinuities. Due to highly similar macroscopic features, such as the presence of a red-cap, species identification within the Russula subgenus Amoenula is particularly difficult. Three species of the subgenus Amoneula have been reported in Korea. We used a combination of morphology and three molecular markers, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU), and RNA polymerase II gene (RPB2), for identification and study of the genetic diversity of Russula subgenus Amoenula in Korea. We identified only two species in Korea (R. mariae and R. violeipes); these two species were indistinguishable according to morphology and LSU, but were found to be reciprocally monophyletic species using ITS and RPB2. The markers, ITS, LSU, and RPB2, have been tested in the past for use as DNA barcoding markers, and findings of our study suggest that ITS and RPB2 had the best performance for the Russula subgenus Amoneula.

Coriolus versicolor, is one of the most popular medicinal mushrooms due its various biologically active components. This study was conducted to obtain basic information regarding the mycelial culture conditions of C. versicolor. Based on the culture, and MCM media were suitable for the mycelial growth of the mushroom. The optimum carbon and nitrogen sources were dextrin and yeast extract, respectively, and the optimum C/N ratio was 10 to 2 when 2% glucose was used. Other minor components required for optimal growth included thiamine-HCl and biotin as vitamins, succinic acid, lactic acid and citric acid as organic acids, as well as MgSO4·7H2O as mineral salts.

A mesophilic bacterium, strain 15-52 T , was isolated from the rhizosphere of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris). On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, the bacterium was identified as representing a novel species belonging to the genus Pedobacter. The strain is non-flagellated, non-spore-forming and grows at temperatures in the range 1-37 6C. Physiological tests of the strain showed the presence of oxidase, catalase, protease (gelatin and casein hydrolysis), b-glucosidase and b-galactosidase activities. The highest levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity were found with respect to Pedobacter roseus CL-GP80 T (97.3 %) and Pedobacter sandarakinus DS-27 T (97.2 %). A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data indicated that strain 15-52 T is a member of the genus Pedobacter. DNA-DNA hybridization analysis revealed low levels of relatedness (<42.3 %) between the isolate and two phylogenetically related type strains, P. roseus KCCM 42272 T and P. sandarakinus KCTC 12559 T . The DNA G+C content is 44.2 mol% and the predominant fatty acids are iso-C 15 : 0 (35.4 %), iso-C 15 : 0 2-OH and/or C 16 : 1 v7c (27.8 %) and iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH (15.8 %). On the basis of these data, strain 15-52 T represents a novel species of the genus Pedobacter, for which the name Pedobacter suwonensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 15-52 T (=KACC 11317 T =DSM 18130 T ).