Erinacine A biosynthesis in submerged cultivation of Hericium erinaceum: Quantification and improved cultivation

This paper describes the validation of an HPLC method for quantitative determination of erinacine A as well as optimization of the culture medium composition for its effective production in submerged culture of the edible and medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceum. The effects of different medium components were examined by the one‐factor‐at‐a‐time method and then by the central composite rotatable design. The most favorable combination of nutrient medium constituents ensuring the highest erinacine A production was found to be: glucose 69.87 g/L, casein peptone 11.17 g/L, NaCl 1.45 g/L, ZnSO4 55.24 mg/L, KH2PO4 1.0 g/L, and pH 4.5. The kinetics of metabolite biosynthesis was examined during the cultivation in a 10‐L bioreactor. Under the optimal conditions the biomass yield was 13.3±2.6 g/L, while the production of erinacine A was 192±42 mg/L. The optimal time to obtain the highest production of erinacine A during cultivation of H. erinaceum in a bioreactor was eight days.