A comparative study on growth and lignocellulolytic activity of nine sarcodontia crocea strains in four different media

The results of a study of growth characteristics, macromorphological features and biosynthetic potential of nine dikaryotic strains of Sarcodontia crocea (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) maintained in the Komarov Botanical Institute Basidiomycetes Culture Collection (LE-BIN) are presented. The strains studied were extracted from the basidiocarps collected on Malus domestica in the Belgorod, Oryol and Rostov Oblasts, as well as by seeding of basidiospores. The cultural and morphological characteristics and enzymatic activity of S. crocea were tested on both standard nutrient media (malt-extract agar – MEA, glucose-peptone agar – GPA) and modified semi-synthetic agarized media. Original compositions has been developed and for the first time nutrient media pre-pared using water-based wood extracts from Malus domestica (Malus-M) and Pyrus communis (Pyrus-M) have been approved. It was found that a significant reduction in growth rates was observed during the cultivation of S. crocea on agarized nutrient media of GPA, Malus-M and Pyrus-M. The studied strains on Malus-M and Pyrus-M exhibited high colony variability, sparse micelian mat, and loss of zonality and air mycelium intensity compared to MEA. It was shown that the composition of the nutrient medium strongly determined the ability of S. crocea strains to produce lignocelluolytic complex enzymes. The cellulolytic activity was noted for strains on all media studied, but no reliable differences were found in the cultivation of strains on sugar-rich MEA and three other semi-synthetic media. Only two strains (LE-BIN 2138 and 4355) were identified as having high cellulolytic activ-ity when grown on MEA. The absence of lignolytic complex enzyme activity was demonstrated when the strains were cultivated on new modified semi-synthetic agarized media of Malus-M and Pyrus-M.