Sunflower seed hull: Its value as a broad mushroom substrate

Sunflower (Heliantus annus) seed hull (SSH), an abundant and cheap lignocellulosicresidue from edible oil-seed industries, was evaluated as an alternative substrate formushroom cultivation. Different edible and medicinal mushroom species were grownsuccessfully, bringing a positive use of material that could be problematic for disposal.In this review we display different studies that linked the SSH with mushroom productionand other derivations of its use as mushroom substrate.Fil: Figlas, Norma Débora. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Matute, Ramiro. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Curvetto, Nestor Raul. Universidad Nacional del Sur; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Laccases production by A.blazei mushroom grown either in composted or non-composted substrates

Agaricus blazei is an edible and medicinal mushroom commonly cultivated on compost. However, non-composted substrates are being particularly studied for specialty mushrooms because their economic and labour advantages. Addition of salt minerals to the substrate or casing materials may stimulate both the synthesis and activity of enzymes involved in the mushroom substrate biotransformation and eventually lead to an increase not only in mushroom productivity but in the fruitbody mineral content too. Remaining substrates from mushroom cultivation are a potential source for the extraction of high valued ligninolytic enzymes like laccases. The main objective of this study was to determine the laccase activity level produced by A. blazei on different phases of its growth cycle, using composted and non-composted substrates. It was also studied the A. blazei laccase production in substrates, either in the presence or in the absence of Cu2+ or Zn2+ (100 or 200 ppm). Results showed that laccase activity depends on the substrate used and varies along the different phases of cultivation. It was also demonstrated, that laccase production and its subsequent accumulation in a substrate are not necessarily correlated with the mycelia growth rates and mushroom production yields. The incorporation of Cu2+ (100 and 200 ppm) solutions on top of the casing layer (composted substrate) or as part of the formula (noncomposted substrates), stimulated the laccase production in the studied substrates. In the case of Zn2+, only the addition of 100 ppm had a positive effect on laccases and mainly in composted substrates

Cultivo del hongo medicinal Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) y desarrollo de productos derivados

El hongo Reishi o Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) es un basidiomicete conocido desde hace más de 2.000 años en China y otros países orientales por sus numerosas propiedades medicinales. Ha sido estudiado en Occidente desde los años ’80 y tales estudios pudieron demostrar su eficacia en el tratamiento de ciertas enfermedades, en particular en aquellos casos en que el sistema inmune estaba comprometido1. Según estudios de toxicidad, su consumo a largo plazo es inocuo presentando un amplio margen de seguridad, sin limitaciones significativas para su dosificación clínica2. En los últimos años ha habido un renovado interés en el estudio de fitoterápicos con un fuerte crecimiento de nuevos productos naturales en el mercado, incluyendo aquellos a base de hongos. Esta tendencia se debe al reconocimiento por parte del público de la validez de los fitoterápicos en el tratamiento de enfermedades, sin los efectos secundarios indeseables asociados a los fármacos sintéticos. Este proyecto de investigación propone el estudio de varios aspectos de la producción ecológica de Ganoderma lucidum y el desarrollo farmacotécnico de distintas variedades de un suplemento dietario basado en este hongo

Cultivo del hongo medicinal Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) y desarrollo de productos derivados

El hongo Reishi o Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) es un basidiomicete conocido desde hace más de 2.000 años en China y otros países orientales por sus numerosas propiedades medicinales. Ha sido estudiado en Occidente desde los años ’80 y tales estudios pudieron demostrar su eficacia en el tratamiento de ciertas enfermedades, en particular en aquellos casos en que el sistema inmune estaba comprometido1. Según estudios de toxicidad, su consumo a largo plazo es inocuo presentando un amplio margen de seguridad, sin limitaciones significativas para su dosificación clínica2. En los últimos años ha habido un renovado interés en el estudio de fitoterápicos con un fuerte crecimiento de nuevos productos naturales en el mercado, incluyendo aquellos a base de hongos. Esta tendencia se debe al reconocimiento por parte del público de la validez de los fitoterápicos en el tratamiento de enfermedades, sin los efectos secundarios indeseables asociados a los fármacos sintéticos. Este proyecto de investigación propone el estudio de varios aspectos de la producción ecológica de Ganoderma lucidum y el desarrollo farmacotécnico de distintas variedades de un suplemento dietario basado en este hongo

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Informe de personal de apoyo: González Matute, Ramiro (2013-2014)

Proyectos de investigación en los cuales colabora: a) Start up PICT 2010 – 0271 ”Producción y comercialización del hongo Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)”. b) Biotransformación de la cáscara de girasol para la producción de hongos comestibles y medicinales. c) SGCyT – UNS PGI – MAyDS “Biotransformación de cáscara de girasol para su uso como biofertilizante en producción intensiva de hortalizas” d) Continuación del proyecto de instalación de un módulo de cultivo y capacitación para la producción de gírgolas en la Unidad Penitenciaria 04 de Bahía Blanca

Informe de personal de apoyo: González Matute, Ramiro (2013-2014)

Proyectos de investigación en los cuales colabora: a) Start up PICT 2010 – 0271 ”Producción y comercialización del hongo Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)”. b) Biotransformación de la cáscara de girasol para la producción de hongos comestibles y medicinales. c) SGCyT – UNS PGI – MAyDS “Biotransformación de cáscara de girasol para su uso como biofertilizante en producción intensiva de hortalizas” d) Continuación del proyecto de instalación de un módulo de cultivo y capacitación para la producción de gírgolas en la Unidad Penitenciaria 04 de Bahía Blanca

Sunflower seed hull based compost for Agaricus blazei Murrill cultivation

Agaricus blazei Murrill is actually one of the most promising mushrooms species. An adaptation from the traditional biphasic compost fermentation method for Agaricus bisporus cultivation has been used for its cultivation. To make mushroom production profitable, the selection of compost materials from each region is essential. Sunflower seed hulls are an abundant lignocellulosic waste from the edible oil industry. It has been successfully used in the cultivation of other specialty mushrooms; however, there are no published reports on its use as part of Agaricus spp. compost. There is still no agreement about the usage of lignin by A. bisporus, and in the case of A. blazei there is no published data. This work presents a substrate formulation (50.0% sunflower seed hulls, 41.0% wheat straw, 4.5% wheat bran, supplements and additives) which after composting was assayed to evaluate the performance of A. blazei cultivation. Different types of containers, i.e. polyethylene bags (2.5 and 4.0 kg substrate, 0.08 m2 ) and plastic trays (3.5 and 4.5 kg substrate, 0.12 m2 ), in two independent trials, were also evaluated. It was demonstrated that the obtained compost was appropriate for the cultivation of A. blazei yielding BE ranging from 30% to 47%, depending on the container and substrate mass, being highest with polyethylene bags containing 2.5 kg substrate. In this case study, lignin accumulated during the composting process, but an important reduction was observed during the cultivation (58% on average), confirming the ability of this mushroom to degrade lignin; thus making it possible the access to nutrient sources of cellulose and hemicellulose.Fil: Gonzalez Matute, Ramiro. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Figlas, Norma Débora. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Curvetto, Nestor Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiarida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiarida; Argentin

Pilot-scale bioconversion of rice and sunflower agro-residues into medicinal mushrooms and laccase enzymes through solid-state fermentation with Ganoderma lucidum

Solid-state fermentation was evaluated at the pilot-scale for the bioconversion and valorization of rice husks and straw (RSH), or sunflower seed hulls (SSH), into medicinal mushrooms and crude extracts, with laccase activity. The average mushroom yield was 56 kg dry weight per ton of agro-residues. Laccase activity in crude aqueous extracts showed its maximum value of 10,927 U kg−1in RSH (day 10, Exudate phase) and 16,442 U kg−1in SSH (day 5, Full colonization phase), the activity at the Residual substrate phase being 511 U kg−1in RSH and 803 U kg−1in SSH, respectively. Crude extracts obtained with various protocols revealed differences in the extraction yields. Lyophilization followed by storage at 4 °C allowed the preservation of laccase activity for more than one month. It is proposed that standard mushroom farms could increase their profits by obtaining laccase as a byproduct during the gaps in mycelium running.Fil: Postemsky, Pablo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Bidegain, Maximiliano Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Matute, Ramiro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Figlas, Norma Débora. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Cubitto, María Amelia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Novel genes and sex differences in COVID-19 severity.

Here we describe the results of a genome-wide study conducted in 11 939 COVID-19 positive cases with an extensive clinical information that were recruited from 34 hospitals across Spain (SCOURGE consortium). In sex-disaggregated genome-wide association studies for COVID-19 hospitalization, genome-wide significance (p < 5x10-8) was crossed for variants in 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci only among males (p = 1.3x10-22 and p = 8.1x10-12, respectively), and for variants in 9q21.32 near TLE1 only among females (p = 4.4x10-8). In a second phase, results were combined with an independent Spanish cohort (1598 COVID-19 cases and 1068 population controls), revealing in the overall analysis two novel risk loci in 9p13.3 and 19q13.12, with fine-mapping prioritized variants functionally associated with AQP3 (p = 2.7x10-8) and ARHGAP33 (p = 1.3x10-8), respectively. The meta-analysis of both phases with four European studies stratified by sex from the Host Genetics Initiative confirmed the association of the 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci predominantly in males and replicated a recently reported variant in 11p13 (ELF5, p = 4.1x10-8). Six of the COVID-19 HGI discovered loci were replicated and an HGI-based genetic risk score predicted the severity strata in SCOURGE. We also found more SNP-heritability and larger heritability differences by age (<60 or ≥ 60 years) among males than among females. Parallel genome-wide screening of inbreeding depression in SCOURGE also showed an effect of homozygosity in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity and this effect was stronger among older males. In summary, new candidate genes for COVID-19 severity and evidence supporting genetic disparities among sexes are provided