ACECR-Mashhad Branch

Research Institute for Industrial Biotechnology

Industrial Fungi Biotechnology Research Department

Introduction

Mushrooms are considered functional foods that possess bioactive compounds with a broad range of pharmacological and medicinal properties, including antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, immunomodulatory, immunosuppressive, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cholesterol activities.  Remarkable therapeutic potentiality of fungi have inspired a number of studies, in order to explore the use of mushrooms metabolites for the treatment of a variety of human diseases and disorders.  Therefore, mushrooms will be one of the new generations of “bio-therapeutics” in future.  In addition, Mushrooms are prominent for human consumption due to their specific flavor and aroma.  It has been estimated that the number of wild mushrooms could reach around 140,000 species in the world.  However, only around 40 mushroom species have been commercially cultivated.  Although recent efforts have been made to standardize cultivation of wild edible mushrooms, the number of cultivated mushrooms is still a very small proportion of total number of wild mushrooms.  At the present, the most cultivated mushroom worldwide is Agaricus bisporus, followed by Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus spp., and Flammulina velutipes.

About our research group

The Industrial Fungi Biotechnology Research Department was established in 2002 by Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR)-Mashhad Branch in order to perform applied research in the field of mushroom science.  The main and initial focus of the department has been strain improvement of the white button mushroom through hybridization.  Since 2012, the department has developed new avenues in addition to strain improvement, including germplasm banks of wild mushrooms, locally adapted cultivation of medicinal mushrooms, and biological activities and biochemical analysis of compounds from selected medicinal mushrooms.  In line with these new research avenues, a new pilot plant has been launched (since 2016) where fresh medicinal mushrooms are locally produced and sold to fresh markets.   The most significant academic achievements include: a national patent for three high yielding hybrid strains of white button mushroom, two other national patents for two medicinal mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngi and Flammuliva velutipes), publication of tens of peer-reviewed papers (indexed in JCR and Pubmed) and several books as well.  Besides, there are several marketable research-based products including medicinal mushroom Pleurotus eryngii, Flammulina velutipes, and mother and commercial spawn and cultures of various mushrooms species.  At the present, this research department has three full-time members of academic staff, including Hamid R. Pourianfar (PhD), Javad Janpoor (PhD candidate), and Sharareh Rezaeian (PhD). 

Today, there is a shortage of the public awareness regarding special medicinal values of mushrooms in Iran, although a sharp increase in the consumption of medicinal mushrooms can be seen.  Additionally, there are limited records on medicinal values of wild mushrooms in Iran, as opposite to medicinal plants that have long been used in the folk medicine of the country.  Iran has diverse climatic and geographical conditions and thus could be a home to a broad range of mushroom species.  Up to the present, a number of valuable studies have been conducted in Iran to collect and identify wild mushrooms.  However, this information requires to be supported with medicinal properties of the wild mushrooms.  Therefore, our research group has focused on therapeutic properties of wild medicinal mushrooms with an emphasis on anticancer activity.  Facilities

We have two pilot plants where mushroom spawn and fresh mushrooms are produced.  In addition, we have established several distinct laboratories including molecular lab, biotechnology lab, and a cancer cell room (PC2 Level) 

1. Products

We have generated several marketable products (please see the following table)

1. Offering consulting services

We offer consulting services in all fields of mushroom production.  Also, we run specialized workshops on mushroom growing and breeding.

1. Specialized academic abilities

Our group has gained several specialized academic abilities, including cancer research (development, molecular mechanism of action, and analytical chemistry of anticancer compounds obtained from natural sources particularly mushrooms), virology (virus-host interactions, cell receptors of human viruses, molecular mechanism of action of antiviral drugs), antibacterial potency of naturally occurred compounds  (in vitro and in vivo assays, mechanism of action, analytical chemistry), natural antioxidant compounds (in vitro and in vivo assays, analytical chemistry), medicinal mushroom growing, spawn making, mushroom genetics and breeding, biochemical analysis of compost

1. Academic achievements

Our most highlighted academic achievements include getting the national patent for three high yielding hybrid strains of white button mushroom designed IM-002, IM-003, IM-008, getting two other national patents for two medicinal mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngi and Flammuliva velutipes), publication of tens of ISI papers, writing and publication of several books, supervising several PhD and MSc students, directing and performing tens of research projects.

 Marketable products of Industrial Fungi Biotechnology Research Department

Contact

To whom correspondence may be made:

Dr. Hamid Reza Pourianfar (PhD in Plant Biotechnology, Assistant Professor), Head of department; email address: pourianfar@acecr.ac.ir; pourianfarh@gmail.com.