Enhanced Production of Valuable Bioactive Metabolites in Submerged Cultures of Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma lucidum by Manipulation of Oxygen Supply

Submerged cultures of Ganoderma lucidum, a valuable mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine, were used for production of bioactive Banoderic acids and Ganoderma polysaccharides. The significant effects of oxygen supply were demonstrated in both shake flasks and bioreactors. By changing the medium loading volume in a shake flask, a different value of initial volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ($K_L$a) was obtained, and a higher $K_L$a value led to a higher biomass density and a higher productivity of both intracellular polysaccharide and ganoderic acid. In a stirred bioreactor, at an initial $K_L$a of 78.2 $h^{-1}$, a maximal cell concentration of 15.6 g/L by dry weight was obtained, as well as a maximal intracellular polysarcharide (IPS) production of 2.2 g/L and its maximal productivity of 220 mg/(L.d). An increase of initial $K_L$a led to a higher production and productivity of GA, and the GA production and productivity at an initial $K_L$a of 96.0 $h^{-1}$ was 1.8-fold those at an initial $K_L$a of 16.4 $h^{-1}$. The fundamental information obtained in this study may be useful for efficient large-scale production of these valuable bioactive products by the submerged cultures.