Grifola frondosa or maitake, a kind of edible and medical fungus, has become a hotspot. This paper advances how to increase the mycelial growth and bioactive polysaccharide production of G. frondosa by submerged fermentation at home and abroad. It focus on two ways: one is improvement and optimization of G. frondosa self-strain, culture medium and culturing methods, and the other is the effects of adding some stimulators into submerged culture of G. frondosa. The last ten years have seen an unprecedented study on characteristics of bioactive polysaccharide from G. frondosa by submerged fermentation. Finally, a simple summary of the extracts and product of G. frondosa and some rare reports are given. The current review illustrates the role of G. frondosa, especially its polysaccharide, with the primary aim of illustrating the latest developments in research on G. frondosa.

 

Key words: Grifola frondosa, maitake, submerged fermentation, culture, mycelial growth, biomass, polysaccharide.