Effect on viability and yield on Pleurotus pulmonarius and Ganoderma lucidum after 3 years of cryopreservation without cryoprotectants

Abstract

Due to their importance in various fields such biotechnology, medicine, food science, preserving microorganisms effectively is essential. This study investigated cryopreservation of the edible fungus Pleurotus pulmonarius and the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum, for three years at −80 °C in sorghum grains without cryoprotectants. We compared viability, growth, and yields with strains maintained on agar media at 5 °C. Our findings show that the grain technique in sorghum requires neither cryoprotectants nor a thawing bath, achieving 100 % recovery within 24 h. Importantly, there were no significant differences in yield (BE) between cryopreserved and sub-cultured strains. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the grain technique with no cryoprotectants for long-term preservation of filamentous edible and medicinal fungi.