In recent years, fungi have been recognized as producers of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, agents important for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to examine the AChE inhibitory, the antioxidative and antibacterial activity of two different Schizophyllum commune strains that originated from Serbia (SRB) and Italy (IT). Submerged cultivation of grown mycelia (M) and fermentation broth (F) of ethanol (EtOH) and polysaccharide (PSH) extracts lasted for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. For AChE activity Ellman method was performed, while for antioxidative activity, sevendifferent assays were conducted: DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, SOA, OH, NO together with total phenolic content. Antimicrobial screen, LC–MS/MS technique and FTIR measurements were performed. Different isolates exhibited different AChE activity, with PSH being the strongest (SRB, M, 28 days IC₉₀ 79.73 ± 26.34 µg/mL), while in EtOH extracts, IT stood out (F, 14 days, IC₅₀ 0.8 ± 0.6 µg/mL). PSH extracts (7 days) exhibit significant antioxidative activity (AO), opposite to EtOH extracts where 14 and 21days periods stood out. Only tw extracts showed antibacterial activity. Following LC–MS/MS analysis p-hydroxybenzoic and gallic acids were the most abundant phenolics. PSH extracts demonstrated remarkable results, making this study debut and introducing S. commune as a valuable resource of AChE inhibitors.

Trametes versicolor and Flammulina velutipes, after submerged cultivation, with intermittent exposure to ultraviolet light (UV), were studied for Total Phenolic content (TP) and Total Proteins (TPR) contents and antioxidant properties against free radicals. The TP and TPR were determined by a spectrophotometric method and Lowry’s assay, respectively. Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was used to quantify polyphenols. Different in vitro assays determined the antioxidant activities of the extracts. Mycelia extract from F. velutipes after 14 days and filtrate from T. versicolor after 21 days of incubation gave the highest TP 59.60 ± 0.14 and 50.03 ± 0.66 mg GAE/g d.w., respectively. Mycelia extract from T. versicolor after 28 days of incubation had the highest TPR (183.53 ± 2.84 mg BSAE/g d.w.). The LC-MS/MS analysis indicated that p-hydroxybenzoic and protocatechuic acids are the most abundant. Trametes versicolor filtrate after 14 days and F. velutipes filtrate after 21 days (71.29 ± 0.54% and 73.5 ± 1.81, respectively) had the highest scavenging activity in SOA. Correlation analysis indicated that all extracts’ antioxidant (AO) potential strongly correlated with TP (R² = 0.83–1.0). The data confirmed that stress factors such as UV exposure could stimulate the production of secondary metabolites and natural AOs, especially phenolic acids in test fungi.

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate new research on the antioxidant, anti-acetylcholine, antimicrobial, and antitumor activity of genus Schizophyllum, as well as to describe the mycochemical profiles. A summary was made on the published studies in the five-year period from 2017 to 2022, with the focus on the most investigated species of this genus, S. commune. Data were obtained through various scientific online databases, including Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Elsevier, and Wiley Online Library using specific keywords. Out of 918 records published between 2017 and 2022, a total of 44 peer-reviewed studies were included in qualitative synthesis. Most examined compounds were glucans isolated from the submerged cultivation of S. commune, even though many studies reported proteins, phenolics, and some other secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins, triterpenoids, etc. Schizophyllan (SPG), one of the most studied β-glucans isolated from S. commune, has been utilized in clinical trials to treat patients receiving anticancer therapy as an immunopotentiator. Considering the enormous biopotential of genus Schizophyllum, specifically S. commune and S. radiatum, additional attention should be paid to identify the biomolecules more accurately and focus on their antitumor and anti-acetylcholinesterase properties, since they proved to have great prospects in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

This study explores the bioactivity potential of four indigenous Ganoderma species from northern Serbia (G. applanatum, G. lucidum, G. pfeifferi, and G. resinaceum), comparing antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase (anti-AChE) properties. The mycochemical profile, including ethanol (EtOH), water (H₂O), and chloroform (CHCl₃) extracts, was analysed, revealing significant phenolic compounds, such as 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid. Highest total phenolic content (TP) was in EtOH extracts (205 - 380 mg GAE/g d.w.), and total carbohydrate content peaked in G. pfeifferi CHCl₃ extracts (1895 ± 0.29 mg GluE/g d.w., 439 ± 0.42 mg FruE/g d.w.). DPPH and FRAP activities were prominent in G. applanatum H₂O extracts, while CHCl₃ extracts excelled in the NO assay, and EtOH extracts were superior in the ABTS assay. The most effective AChE inhibitors were polar extracts from G. pfeifferi. These findings emphasise the potential therapeutic use of Ganoderma species, particularly G. pfeifferi, in combating oxidative stress and acetylcholine deficiencies.

Amidst worsening climate change, drought stress imperils global agriculture, jeopardizing crop yields and food security, thereby necessitating the urgent exploration of sustainable methods like biopriming for the harnessing of beneficial microorganisms to bolster plant resilience. Recent research has revealed diverse biological compounds with versatile applications produced by Schizophyllum commune, rendering this fungus as a promising contender for biopriming applications. For the first time, this study aimed to investigate the potential of S. commune exo- (EPSH) and intra-polysaccharides (IPSH) isolated from two strains—Italian (ITA) and Serbian (SRB)—under submerged cultivation to enhance the resilience of Pisum sativum L. seeds through the biopriming technique. Testing of the seed quality for the bioprimed, hydroprimed, and unprimed seeds was conducted using a germination test, under optimal and drought conditions, while characterization of the PSHs included FTIR analysis, microanalysis, and determination of total protein content (TPC). The FTIR spectra of EPSH and IPSH were very similar but revealed the impurities, while microanalysis and TPC confirmed a different presence of proteins in the isolated PSHs. In optimal conditions, the IPSH SRB increased germination energy by 5.50% compared to the control; however, the highest percentage of germination (94.70%) was shown after biopriming with the PSH isolated from the ITA strain. Additionally, all assessed treatments resulted in a boost in seedling growth and biomass accumulation, where the ITA strain demonstrated greater effectiveness in optimal conditions, while the SRB strain showed superiority in drought conditions. The drought tolerance indices increased significantly in response to all examined treatments during the drought, with EPSH ITA (23.00%) and EPSH SRB (24.00%) demonstrating the greatest effects. Results of this preliminary study demonstrate the positive effect of isolated PSH, indicating their potential as biopriming agents and offering insights into novel strategies for agricultural resilience.