Effect of pulsed discharges on mycelium growth of Sparassis crispa

It is known empirically that the lightning stimulates plant growth in realm of agriculture. Furthermore, growth stimulations of pulsed power for mushrooms have been reported as well. Therefore, the application of pulsed power technology could enhance the growth of agricultural crops easily. This study examined the effects of electrical stimulation on mycelium of a fungus. Sparassis crispa. S. crispa contains a large amount of β-1, 3-glucan which has anticancer action. While there have been several experimental studies producing fruit body of fungi, we selected an experiment for mycelium of S. crispa. In case of mycelium cultivation, the culture period is shorter than fruit body and, the culture operation is relatively facile. A Blumlein-type pulse forming network (B-PFN) was used to generate electrical pulsed discharges of approximately 20 kV and 450 ns on the surface of the culture solution containing the mycelium of S. crispa. The length of discharges was approximately 14 mm. During the 10 day culture period, electrical pulse discharge treatment was applied on the second, fourth, and sixth day. The mycelium pellets were observed and metabolites were evaluated with a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The observed amount of β-1, 3-glucan in pulse-treated samples was significantly 1.22 times higher than in control samples.