Abstract

Medicinal and edible mushrooms have biological properties that are important in promoting health. In the last decades, an increasing number of studies have explored various aspects of the cultivation and metabolism of various species. Many isolated substances have potential for use in medicine and among them are polysaccharides, which have been shown to have physiological properties such as anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, anti-hypercholesterolemia, antiviral and antiinflammatory. The most common way of obtaining products from mushrooms is through cultivation in a solid medium. However, in this type of cultivation there is a difficulty in controlling the physical and chemical parameters and, consequently, the quality of the product. In this context, the submerged fermentation of the mycelial form of the mushroom has received attention as an alternative for the efficient production of biomass and, therefore, of polysaccharides. Technical problems and forms of cultivation are studied so that the standardization of cultivation is more effective. This review describes some aspects about the submerged fermentation technique in bottles and bioreactors, exploring the two main ones, which are the stirred tank fermentator and the air lift reactors and the species that are in these cultivated systems.

Key words: Mushrooms, polysaccharides, submersed fermentation, biorreactor.