Mycelial growth of strains of Pleurotus ostreatus developed on agar and its correlation with the productivity in pilot production farm

Abstract

Radial growth rate, intracellular laccases and proteases activities, and protein content were evaluated in five strains of Pleurotus ostreatus, grown on starch-based and glucose-based agar media containing different concentrations of the glucose analogue 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). Productivity of the strains in pilot scale cultivation was also determined. The mycelium of four strains had approximately between 0.6- to 3-fold higher protein content when grown on glucose medium containing 0.01 g/L of 2-DG than when grown on glucose medium. The radial growth rate and intracellular laccases activity of some strains showed a positive and a negative correlation with the productivity, respectively. These results suggest that the strains with high radial growth rate and low intracellular laccases activity on glucose without 2-DG, on starch without 2-DG or on glucose containing 0.01 g/L of 2-DG are highly productive in pilot production farm.