CARBON

The fungus Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom that belongs to the family Ganodermataceae and mainly grows in the tropics. The effect of carbon and nitrogen sources on the mycelial growth of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum was investigated, and the best carbon and nitrogen sources were determined. Using standard potato dextrose agar (PDA) media as the growth medium, the mycelial growth of Ganoderma lucidum was observed. Subsequently, the sugar from PDA was then replaced with the selected nitrogen and carbon sources and used alternatively for each source inoculated with the fungus Ganoderma lucidum. The daily mycelial growth of each source was recorded. After 5 days of inoculation, the mycelial cells fully colonised the petri ishes. 10 days after inoculation, the fungus mycelial was harvested, dried, and the biomass recorded. Six selected carbon sources, which include glucose, lactose, starch, maltose, cellulose, and sucrose, were employed as nutrient supplements for the fungus anoderma lucidum's growth. All the sources promoted its growth, but maltose (66.88±1.44mm) and lactose (64.88±4.71mm) were most suitable for Ganoderma lucidum growth. Sucrose (55.0±1.87mm), and cellulose (37.88±1.44mm), was least suitable for anoderma lucidum's growth due to their growth rates. The most suitable carbon source for the biomass production of anoderma lucidum was sucrose (0.29±0.03g) and lactose (0.26±0.04g), while the least suitable was cellulose (0.15±0.02g) and glucose (0.15 ±0.06g). Six selected nitrogen sources were also employed as supplements in this study. They include ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, yeast, and urea. All nitrogen sources promoted the fungus' growth with the exception of urea, which showed no growth. Among the selected nitrogen sources used, yeast (69.25 ± 2.33mm) and ammonium sulphate (61.25±3.01mm) were most suitable for Ganoderma lucidum growth. The least suitable were ammonium nitrate (36.35± 0.96mm), sodium nitrate (47.13±0.48mm), and urea, which promoted no growth. The most suitable nitrogen sources for the biomass production of Ganoderma lucidum were yeast (0.52± 0.03g) and sodium nitrate (0.83±0.16g) and the least suitable was ammonium sulphate (0.19 ±0.09g) and ammonium nitrate (0.16±0.02g). The morphological characteristics and density pattern of the mycelial of Ganoderma lucidum were also observed in the course of the study. Nutritional factors have been noted to be responsible for the growth and development of fungi. From this study, it is concluded that the most suitable carbon source for the growth of Ganoderma lucidum is maltose and lactose, while the most suitable carbon source for the biomass production of Ganoderma lucidum is sucrose and lactose