Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures

With increasing demand for antioxidant-rich foods, research has focused on cost-effective methods to produce natural antioxidants. Mushrooms, especially <i>Agaricus</i> species, are rich in bioactive compounds like ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. Ergothioneine has been shown to offe...

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Main Authors: Hojat Ghahremani-majd, Hasan Mumivand, Parisa Khanizadeh, Fatemeh Bakhshipoor, Sergio Argento
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Horticulturae
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/4/348
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author Hojat Ghahremani-majd
Hasan Mumivand
Parisa Khanizadeh
Fatemeh Bakhshipoor
Sergio Argento
author_facet Hojat Ghahremani-majd
Hasan Mumivand
Parisa Khanizadeh
Fatemeh Bakhshipoor
Sergio Argento
author_sort Hojat Ghahremani-majd
collection DOAJ
description With increasing demand for antioxidant-rich foods, research has focused on cost-effective methods to produce natural antioxidants. Mushrooms, especially <i>Agaricus</i> species, are rich in bioactive compounds like ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. Ergothioneine has been shown to offer significant health benefits, such as protecting against oxidative stress, cardiovascular diseases, and premature aging. This study explores the effects of amino acid supplementation (methionine, cysteine, and histidine) and yeast–peptone mixtures on ergothioneine production, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and growth rate in various <i>Agaricus</i> species; this was conducted through two distinct experiments within a completely randomized design. In the first experiment, 13 treatment combinations were tested, involving varying concentrations of individual amino acids (methionine, cysteine, and histidine) at 0.5, 1, and 2 mM, as well as their combined concentrations (0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5, 1 + 1 + 1, and 2 + 2 + 2 mM), compared to a control (no amino acids). The second experiment tested yeast extract and peptone mixtures at seven concentrations: control (no supplementation), yeast (2 and 4 g/L), peptone (2 and 4 g/L), and combinations of yeast and peptone (2 + 2 and 4 + 4 g/L). Results revealed that supplementation with amino acids at 1 + 1 + 1 mM significantly enhanced ergothioneine content and antioxidant activity, though it resulted in decreased growth rates. In contrast, lower concentrations of amino acids (0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 mM) increased ergothioneine production, with minimal impact on growth. Yeast and peptone supplementation at 2 + 2 g/L yielded the highest ergothioneine content, antioxidant activity, and growth rates across all <i>Agaricus</i> species tested. The most effective combination for maximizing ergothioneine production, antioxidant activity, and growth was found to be 0.5 mM of methionine, cysteine, and histidine, combined with 2 g/L of yeast extract and 2 g/L of peptone. <i>Agaricus bitorquis</i> (Quél.) Sacc. emerged as a promising candidate for ergothioneine production due to its genetic potential and metabolic efficiency. However, the strong responsiveness of <i>Agaricus bisporus</i> (white) to optimized culture conditions offers a viable alternative to <i>A. bitorquis</i>, which may require more complex and costly cultivation strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-1c4adb02ac2e4186b68293cb86358d0a2025-08-20T02:18:11ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-03-0111434810.3390/horticulturae11040348Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone MixturesHojat Ghahremani-majd0Hasan Mumivand1Parisa Khanizadeh2Fatemeh Bakhshipoor3Sergio Argento4Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan 65174, IranDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad P.O. Box 465, IranDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad P.O. Box 465, IranDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad P.O. Box 465, IranNational Research Council of Italy, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (CNR-ICB), Via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, ItalyWith increasing demand for antioxidant-rich foods, research has focused on cost-effective methods to produce natural antioxidants. Mushrooms, especially <i>Agaricus</i> species, are rich in bioactive compounds like ergothioneine, a potent antioxidant. Ergothioneine has been shown to offer significant health benefits, such as protecting against oxidative stress, cardiovascular diseases, and premature aging. This study explores the effects of amino acid supplementation (methionine, cysteine, and histidine) and yeast–peptone mixtures on ergothioneine production, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and growth rate in various <i>Agaricus</i> species; this was conducted through two distinct experiments within a completely randomized design. In the first experiment, 13 treatment combinations were tested, involving varying concentrations of individual amino acids (methionine, cysteine, and histidine) at 0.5, 1, and 2 mM, as well as their combined concentrations (0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5, 1 + 1 + 1, and 2 + 2 + 2 mM), compared to a control (no amino acids). The second experiment tested yeast extract and peptone mixtures at seven concentrations: control (no supplementation), yeast (2 and 4 g/L), peptone (2 and 4 g/L), and combinations of yeast and peptone (2 + 2 and 4 + 4 g/L). Results revealed that supplementation with amino acids at 1 + 1 + 1 mM significantly enhanced ergothioneine content and antioxidant activity, though it resulted in decreased growth rates. In contrast, lower concentrations of amino acids (0.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 mM) increased ergothioneine production, with minimal impact on growth. Yeast and peptone supplementation at 2 + 2 g/L yielded the highest ergothioneine content, antioxidant activity, and growth rates across all <i>Agaricus</i> species tested. The most effective combination for maximizing ergothioneine production, antioxidant activity, and growth was found to be 0.5 mM of methionine, cysteine, and histidine, combined with 2 g/L of yeast extract and 2 g/L of peptone. <i>Agaricus bitorquis</i> (Quél.) Sacc. emerged as a promising candidate for ergothioneine production due to its genetic potential and metabolic efficiency. However, the strong responsiveness of <i>Agaricus bisporus</i> (white) to optimized culture conditions offers a viable alternative to <i>A. bitorquis</i>, which may require more complex and costly cultivation strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/4/348cysteinehistidinemethionine<i>Agaricus bitorquis</i><i>Agaricus bisporus</i>submerged fermentation
spellingShingle Hojat Ghahremani-majd
Hasan Mumivand
Parisa Khanizadeh
Fatemeh Bakhshipoor
Sergio Argento
Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures
Horticulturae
cysteine
histidine
methionine
<i>Agaricus bitorquis</i>
<i>Agaricus bisporus</i>
submerged fermentation
title Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures
title_full Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures
title_fullStr Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures
title_short Optimizing Ergothioneine Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Activity in <i>Agaricus</i> spp. Through Amino Acid Supplementation and Yeast–Peptone Mixtures
title_sort optimizing ergothioneine biosynthesis and antioxidant activity in i agaricus i spp through amino acid supplementation and yeast peptone mixtures
topic cysteine
histidine
methionine
<i>Agaricus bitorquis</i>
<i>Agaricus bisporus</i>
submerged fermentation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/4/348
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