Naematelia aurantialba is a rare edible fungus with both nutritional and medicinal values and especially rich in bioactive polysaccharides. However, due to the lack of genomic information, researches on the mining of active compounds, artificial breeding and cultivation, genetics, and molecular biology are limited. To facilitate the medicinal and food applications of N. aurantialba, we sequenced and analyzed the whole genome of N. aurantialba for the first time. The 21-Mb genome contained 15 contigs, and a total of 5860 protein-coding genes were predicted. The genome sequence shows that 296 genes are related to polysaccharide synthesis, including 15 genes related to nucleoside-activated sugar synthesis and 11 genes related to glucan synthesis. The genome also contains genes and gene clusters for the synthesis of other active substances, including terpenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, and bioactive proteins. In addition, it was also found that N. aurantialba was more closely related to Naematelia encephala than to Tremella fuciformis. In short, this study provides a reference for molecular cognition of N. aurantialba and related researches.

The soy beverage is a healthy product rich in plant protein; however, its unpleasant flavor affects consumer acceptance. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of using Naematelia aurantialba as a strain for the preparation of fermented soybean beverages (FSB). Increases in Zeta potential, particle size, and viscosity make soy beverages more stable. We found that nutrient composition was increased by fermenting N. aurantialba, and the antioxidant activity of soybean beverages significantly increased after 5 days of fermentation. By reducing the content of beany substances such as hexanal and increasing the content of 1-octen-3-ol, the aroma of soybean beverages fermented by N. aurantialba changed from “beany, green, and fatty” to “mushroom and aromatic”. The resulting FSB had reduced bitterness but considerably increased sourness while maintaining the fresh and sweet taste of unfermented soybean beverages (UFSB). This study not only provides a theoretical basis for the market promotion of FSB but also provides a reference for basidiomycetes-fermented beverages.

An electronic nose (E-Nose) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) were used to analyze the volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) of the enzymatic hydrolysate of Lanmaoa asiatica and its Maillard reaction products (MRPs). E-Nose sensors have strong response signals to sulfide, nitrogen oxides, alcohols, and aldehyde ketone, and the aroma profile was increased after the Maillard reaction (MR). According to GC-IMS, A total of 84 known compounds were identified. Aldehydes, ketones and alcohols are the main VFCs. After MR, the concentrations of some alcohols decreased, and the concentration of pyrazines and ketones increased. Principal component analysis (PCA) and similarity analysis showed that the enzymatic hydrolysate and MRPs were different and could be effectively distinguished. In conclusion, this study clarified the changes in VFCs before and after the MR. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the quality control and flavor changes during the processing of Lanmaoa asiatica and provide a new method for flavor analysis of edible mushrooms and their products.

The seeds of Gleditsia sinensis and Gleditsia microphylla, widespread in China, are an important source of galactomannans. G. sinensis gum (GSG) and G. microphylla gum (GMG) were purified and precipitated using different concentrations of ethanol and isopropanol. The GSG and GMG, precipitated in different stages, presented different characteristics, including polymer recovery, mannose/galactose ratio, chemical composition, molecular weight, and morphological appearance. The galactomannan recovery of GSG and GMG in 33.3% ethanol was 81.7% and 82.5%, respectively, while that in 28.8% isopropanol was 81.3% and 82.9%, respectively. To achieve similar precipitation efficiency, the amount of isopropanol should be lower than that of ethanol because of the lower dielectric constant of isopropanol (20 vs. 25 for ethanol). The precipitation behavior of galactomannans in polar organic solvents was dependent on the molecular structures and properties of the solvent. A higher mannose/galactose ratio and a higher molecular weight was obtained in a lower concentration of alcohols.

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) is an attractive process configuration for bio-ethanol production. Further reductions in process cost of SSF are expected with the use of waste agricultural or industrial materials as feedstock. In the current study, two industrial lignocellulosic wastes, cassava residues (CR) and furfural residues (FR), were combined during SSF for ethanol production due to their value-added applications and positive environmental impacts. After CR were liquefied and saccharified, saccharification liquid was added to SSF of FR. The effect of substrate fractions was investigated in terms of ethanol yield, byproduct concentration and the number of yeast cells. Besides, a natural surfactant, Gleditsia saponin, was added to investigate the effect of FR lignin on SSF with 20% substrate concentration. The results showed that increasing the ratio of CR/FR improved the ethanol yield and that the ethanol yield was also increased gradually by increasing the substrate concentration from 6% to 12%. A high ethanol concentration of 36.0 g/L was obtained under the condition of CR:FR = 2:1 with 12% substrate concentration, reaching 71.1% of the theoretical yield. However, Gleditsia saponin did not affect the ethanol yield, indicating the insignificant effect of lignin in SSF with low lignin content in the reaction system.

Most of the hemicelluloses were removed and more acetyl groups were generated after steam pretreatment, and a high acetic acid concentration was observed during SSF.