The mycelial growth and ligninolytic enzyme activity of cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis latifolia)

We examined the activities of lignin-degrading enzymes of the mycelium of cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis latifolia). Three different strains of S. latifolia collected from several sites in Korea and one crossbred strain were cultured on potato dextrose broth (PDB) and Kirk's medium in order to study the activities of their ligninolytic enzymes. Mycelial growth reached maximum levels between 14 and 21 days after inoculation and pH increased by 0.12 units over 35 days. Laccase activity began increasing after 14 days on both types of media. Manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity followed a trend similar to that of laccase on Kirk's medium, but not on PDB. The activity of lignin peroxidase (LiP) differed from that of other enzymes; its activity decreased by half after 14 days on PDB but remained constant on Kirk's medium over 35 days. The total protein concentration increased considerably after 14 days and peaked at 21 days on PDB. A similar maximum was attained on Kirk's medium. In contrast, the residual glucose increased rapidly at 14 days on Kirk's medium, while increasing gradually up to 28 days on PDB. This study indicates that S. latifolia is more similar to white rot fungi than to other brown rot fungi.