Solid‐state fermentation of cornmeal with the basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum for degrading starch and upgrading nutritional value

Aims: The objective of this research was to study the ability of the basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum to degrade starch and upgrade nutritional value of cornmeal during solid‐state fermentation (SSF). Methods and Results: On the basal medium that consisted of cornmeal and salt solution, α‐amylase activity of G. lucidum reached its maximum value of 267 U g−1 of culture on day 20 after inoculation. Prolongation of fermentation time from 10 to 25 days increased significantly the degradation rate of starch and ergosterol yield (a kind of physiologically active substances of G. lucidum, also as an indicator of mycelial biomass) (P