Medicinal Species from Genera Inonotus and Phellinus (Aphyllophoromycetideae): Cultural-Morphological Peculiarities, Growth Characteristics, and Qualitative Enzymatic Activity Tests

The morphological and cultural characteristics of vegetative mycelium of nine important medicinal species from genera Inonotus and Phellinus (Hymenochaetales) were studied. The species studied were Inonotus dryophilus, I. hispidus, I. levis, I. rheades, I. rickii, I. obliquus, I. tamaricis, Phellinus baumii, and Ph. linteus, represented by 14 strains. Data on mycelial growth of the above-mentioned fungi species on different types of nutrients, the macro- and micromorphological description of colonies grown on different media, and qualitative enzymatic activity tests on lignolytic enzymes are provided. It was shown that species Inonotus obliquus (3.57 mm/day), Ph. baumii (3.26 mm/day), and Ph. linteus (3.05 mm/day) demonstrated moderately slow growth on selected nutrients. By contrast, Inonotus levis recorded a rapid growth, with the highest growth rate value of all analyzed strains (8.63 mm/day). Most of examined species preferred wort agar, whereas I. rheades, I. rickii, and I. obliquus preferred potato-dextrose agar as the medium for optimal development. The least favorable nutrient for all taxa was corn agar. Analyses of morphological and microstructural peculiarities on different types of nutrients, with mycelial samples taken from different parts of the colony as advancing zone, marginal agar, and aerial mycelium, were conducted and illustrated for five species. As expected, the qualitative enzymatic activity tests confirmed a positive reaction to most of the analyzed strains. In addition, we observed that enzyme secretion is related to the medium type on which the colony is grown.