Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and recurrent gastrointestinal disease that affects millions of humans worldwide and imposes a huge social and economic burden. It is necessary to find safe and efficient drugs for preventing and treating UC. The aim of this study was to determine whether ganoderic acid (GA), the main bioactive components of Ganoderma lucidum, has preventive and therapeutic effect on UC in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mouse model. Our experimental results showed that GA significantly ameliorated the body weight loss and disease activity index (DAI) of UC mice. GA significantly restored 11% of the colon length and 69% of the spleen index compared to UC mice. GA significantly decreased the intestinal inflammatory response and improved the barrier function of the intestine by upregulating the tight junction proteins Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin and claudin-1. A co-housing experiment showed that gut microbiota accounted for the therapeutic activity of GA on UC, which was confirmed by fecal microbiota transplantation from GA-treated mice to the UC mice. Furthermore, 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing of fecal bacteria showed that GA significantly enriched the abundance of Lactobacillus, Oscillospira, Odoribacter and Ruminococcus, which were positively correlated with colon length. Furthermore, this study found the functional metabolites, including Indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAld), Glutamine (Gln) and Glutathione (GSH), reduced barrier damage in the Caco-2 cell model. In conclusion, this study suggests that GA could ameliorate UC by improving intestinal barrier function via modulating gut microbiota and associated metabolites.

Purpose: Careless burning, discarding, or overfertilization of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is environmentally harmful. The reuse of SMS resources is a matter of concern. Methods: Spent seafood mushroom substrate solid-state fermentation combined with Rhizobium pusense solution was added to soil to evaluate its environmental and Cenchrus fungigraminus seedling growth effects in pot trial experiments. Results: The 40% fermented seafood mushroom SMS (fresh weight) with R. pusense treatment had significantly higher total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (AMN), organic matter, etc., and decreased soil electrical conductivity (EC) and increased pH compared with other treatment. Soil catalase (CAT), dehydrogenase (DHA), and urease (UE) activities were significantly improved; there were no differences in CAT and UE activities between 40% (T4) and 50% (T5) SMS additions. C. fungigraminus seedling height and leaf length increased gradually and were significantly different from those of the positive control. The 30–50% seafood mushroom SMS treatment increased plant TN by 5.76–10.00% and total phosphorus by 15.44–16.55%. Plant root length and root activity peaked in T4; however, plant split root number and root activity in T5 decreased by 43.96% and 26.97% compared with those in T4. According to Pearson correlation and one-dimensional regression analyses, the seafood mushroom SMS content affected fertility > enzyme activity > plant growth. Principal component analysis and redundancy analysis showed that the effect of the seafood mushroom SMS concentration on the soil environment was mainly reflected in plant aboveground and root activity. Conclusions: Under an SMS addition amount of 40%, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria promoted the growth of C. fungigraminus seedlings to a greater extent.

Malnutrition in underdeveloped regions is exacerbated by the lack of accessible, nutrient-dense foods and energy-intensive agricultural practices. This study introduces a sustainable non-sterile cultivation method for Pleurotus sapidus (an oyster mushroom species) using fresh Pennisetum giganteum (Giant Juncao grass), a fast-growing C4 grass cultivated on marginal soils. Unlike conventional sterilization-dependent approaches, our method employs lime-saturated water (LW, 4 mL·g⁻¹) to pretreat fresh grass, eliminating the need for drying; a critical advantage in humid regions where biomass degradation occurs rapidly. Coupled with optimized substrate composition (2% CaO, 0.5% corn flour), this strategy achieved robust mycelial growth (0.53 cm·d⁻¹) and high biological efficiency (112.78%). LW treatment altered substrate metabolites and reduced soluble nutrients. L-malic acid and soluble sugars promoted P. sapidus growth, whereas amino acids, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), and lactic acid inhibited its growth. The Mucor circinelloides was identified as a key contaminant. This scalable strategy transforms underutilized lignocellulosic biomass into nutrient-rich food, aligning with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).