Optimizing a culture medium for biomass and phenolic compounds production using Ganoderma lucidum

The present work was aimed at optimizing a culture medium for biomass production and phenolic compounds by using Ganoderma lucidum. The culture was optimized in two stages; a Plackett-Burman design was used in the first one for identifying key components in the medium and a central composite design was used in the second one for optimizing their concentration. Both responses (biomass and phenolic compounds) were simultaneously optimized by the latter methodology regarding desirability, and the optimal concentrations obtained were 50.00 g/L sucrose, 13.29 g/L yeast extract and 2.99 g/L olive oil. Maximum biomass production identified in these optimal conditions was 9.5 g/L and that for phenolic compounds was 0.0452 g/L, this being 100% better than that obtained in the media usually used in the laboratory. Similar patterns regarding chemical characterization and biological activity towards Aspergillus sp., from both fruiting body and mycelium-derived secondary metabolites and extracts obtained in the proposed medium were observed. It was shown that such statistical methodologies are useful for optimizing fermentation and, in the specific case of G. lucidum, optimizing processes for its production and its metabolites in submerged culture as an alternative to traditional culture.