The hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) of the honeybee worker produces royal jelly (RJ) and has a developmental cycle closely related to the division of labor. In this study, we investigated to compare the HPG acini diameter of differently aged worker bees with high royal jelly producing colony (HRC) or less producing colony (LRC). Additionally, we also evaluated whether the fresh weight of the head is a reliable indicator of the developmental status of HPG. The HRC showed a significantly higher RJ production about two-times as compared with those of the LRC. We measured the HG-diameters on days 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15. The microscopic analysis revealed that the acini size of the HRC was significantly larger than the LRC. In addition, the acini diameter of HRC was 15% longer than the LRC on the first day after emerging. It was shown that the fastest development during 3 days which is preparing for nurse the brood. The HPG acini diameters increased in both colonies in a similar fashion until day 12 and then decreased. We also compared the fresh head weight of the experimental colonies, differences were similar to the development of HPG. Therefore, high royal jelly production may have a positive correlation between HPG acini size and the fresh head weight.

Polyporus umbellatus (Syn. Grifola umbellata) is a sclerotium forming mushroom belongs to family Poly-poraceae of Polyphorales, Basidiomycota. The sclerotia of P. umbellatus have long been used for traditional medicinesin China, Korea and Japan. This study was initiated to obtain the basic data for artificial sclerotial production of P. umbel-latus. Here, we investigated the favorable conditions for mycelial growth of P. umbellatus and its symbiotic fungus Armill-aria mellea. We also evaluate the favorable carbon and nitrogen sources for sclerotial formation in dual culture betweenP. umbellatus and A. mellea. The favorable conditions for mycelial growth of P. umbellatus were 20°C and pH 4, whileoptimal conditions for mycelial growth of A. mellea were 25°C and pH 6. The carbon sources for optimal mycelial growthof P. umbellatus were fructose and glucose, while carbon sources for favorable mycelial growth of A. mellea were alsofructose and glucose. The nitrogen sources for favorable mycelial growth P. umbellatus were peptone and yeast extract,while optimal mycelial growth of A. mellea were obtained in peptone and yeast extract. When P. umbellatus and A. melleawere dual cultured on carbon sources, sclerotia were induced on basal media supplemented with glucose, fructose andmaltose at pH 4~6, while nitrogen sources inducing sclerotia were basal media supplemented with peptone and yeastextract for 60 days at 20°C under dark condition.

Ganoderma applanatum is a medicinal mushroom belongs to Ganodermataceae of Polyporales, Basidiomycota. This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-xanthine oxidase activities of G. applanatum fruiting bodies extracted with methanol. The antioxidant activities were performed on reducing power, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging, and ferrous ion chelating activities. In addition to this, polyphenol and flavonoid contents were aslo analyzed. The methanol extract showed the good reducing power of 3.5 at the concentration of 4.0 mg/ml. The scavenging activity of methanol extract of G. applanatum 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy radicals was better than those of positive control, BHT and tocopherol. The ferrous ion chelating effect of methanol extract was moe effective than those of positive control, BHT and tocopherol. The antioxidant activities of the G. applanatum were increased with the increasing concentration of the extracts. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of methanol extract of G. applanatum was good as positive control, allopurinol. The anti-inflammatory activity of mushroom extract was measured by carrageenan-induced hind paw edema of albino rat. The injection of 50 mg/kg of methanol and hot water extracts significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced paw edema compared with the positive control, indomethacin. The results indicated that fruiting bodies of G. applanatum could be used for natural medicine for anti-inflammatory and anti-xanthine oxidase.

Recently, there had been reports on ethanol fermentation from mono-saccharide and disaccharide by mushroom mycelia. This experiment was conducted to study ethanol production from xylose by mycelila of mushrooms isolated from Korea. The cultures used in this study were obtained from Culture Collection and DNA Bank of Mushrooms in the Division of Life Sciences, Incheon National University. The results showed that Neolentinus lepideus, Trametes hirsuta and Cerrena unicolor produced ethanol from xylose contained media. The ethanol concentration produced in the xylose contained media ranged from 2.5∼3.8%. The highest ethanol concentration(3.8%) was obtained from fermentation of xylose by Neolentinus lepideus mycelia. All of the mushroom mycelia used in this study showed a good ability of ethanol fermentation from glucose, fructose, mannose, cellobiose and maltose.

Recently, there had been many reports on ethanol fermentation by mushrooms. This study was initiated to screening of ethanol fermentation by mushroom mycelilal cultures preserved in Culture Collection and DNA Bank of Mushrooms in the Division of Life Sciences, Incheon National University. The experimental results showed that ethanol concentration produced by Cerrena unicolor, Trametes pubescens and Daedalea dickinsii, Microporus vernicipes and Perenniporia fraxinea in the glucose medium ranged from 2.3∼4.7%. The highest ethanol concentration was obtained from fermentation of glucose by Cerrena unicolor (4.7%). Some of the mushrooms used in this study have a good ability to efficiently ferment arabinose, fructose, mannose, cellobiose, maltose and sucrose . The highest ethanol concentration was obtained under semi-aerobic condition compared with aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The media used for ethanol fermentation by T. pubescens and P. fraxinea. contained small amounts of β -D-glucan, which is known to have anti-tumor activity.