news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

Source: CCTV News WeChat Official Account

Not long ago, a video on the Internet“Mushrooms grow from apples”The video attracted the attention of netizens, who named the apple with mushrooms "Fruit Fungus King".

This video also attracted the attention of researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. After contacting Ms. Deng, they obtained this "king of fruit fungi".This phenomenon occurs on fruits such as peaches and plums, but is rarely seen on apples.Why do mushrooms grow on apples? Can mushrooms grown on apples be eaten?

Can you eat the mushrooms that grow on apples?

This "king of fruit fungi" comes from the home of Ms. Deng in Huzhou, Zhejiang. According to reports, due to the high temperature of 38-9 degrees Celsius in the local area for several days, an apple in her home gradually showed signs of rotting and white mushrooms grew on the top. Afterwards, Ms. Deng placed the apple on the windowsill and found that the mushrooms on it were gradually growing.

At present, this "king of fruit fungi" has been sent to researchers. According to researchers, the scientific name of the mushroom growing on the apple is Schizophyllum, also known as white ginseng.Not only is it edible, but it is also nutritious.It is rich in protein, amino acids and trace elements essential to the human body, and has significant medicinal value.

Why do mushrooms grow on apples?

Researchers said that after the apples were sent to the laboratory in Kunming and cultivated naturally, although they shrank, the white ginseng growing on them remained intact.White ginseng is a kind of fungus that can be used as both medicine and food.It usually grows on rotten wood and can be found in forests or places with natural lignin. In addition to the wild, the spores of white ginseng are distributed in the stratosphere of the atmosphere.

Researchers said,"In order to reproduce, white ginseng will spread its spores widely. With the influence of atmospheric circulation, these spores are available all over the world. As long as the humidity is suitable, they will seize the opportunity to reproduce."

When the spores of white ginseng fall into the apple stalk, the apple core provides the basic conditions for the growth of white ginseng."Apples are rich in sugar, vitamins and dietary fiber, and the core and stalk contain lignin and cellulose, which meet the conditions for the growth and reproduction of Schizophyllum. It occupies the flesh and core of the apple, and after a period of nutrient accumulation, Schizophyllum grows."

In addition, the hot and humid climate conditions in Zhejiang in June and July also promoted the growth of white ginseng.

Will mushrooms on apples taste like apples?

According to the researchers, during their early work on Tremella fuciformis breeding, they successfully grew Tremella fuciformis with the flavor of jasmine and osmanthus."Although there is no apple-flavored white ginseng yet, as research progresses, there may be white ginseng with apple, mango, osmanthus, and other fruit flavors."

The research team focuses on white ginseng

What other research has been conducted?

In recent years, the research team has alsoSpace breedingThe white ginseng strains studied on the Chinese space station also play an important role in better utilizing the edible and medicinal value of white ginseng.

So far,Shenzhou XII, Shenzhou XIV and Shenzhou XVI manned spacecraftSeveral batches of white ginseng experimental strains have been sent back to ground laboratories from the Chinese space station for scientific researchers to carry out subsequent screening and other research work.

Researchers introduced that the biggest difference between the white ginseng strains studied in the Chinese space station and those on the ground is thatThe strain has experienced mutations caused by physical factors such as cosmic ray radiation, microgravity and ultra-vacuum in the universe, which can cause mutations in some gene loci.These mutations are extremely rare for scientific research.

After the white ginseng was sent back to Earth from the Chinese space station, researchers compared it with wild strains collected from all over the country and white ginseng grown on fruits received during this period, analyzing the effects of different environments and matrices on the growth of white ginseng, thereby providing more core germplasm for the breeding of new white ginseng varieties.

Experts suggest that although white ginseng is widely found in nature, it still requires professional equipment and technology to grow it well. Usually, rotten and moldy fruits at home basically cannot grow mushrooms, but a large number of Neurospora may appear on the surface of the fruit. If you eat food contaminated by Neurospora, you may experience symptoms such as high fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Source: CCTV News WeChat official account comprehensive "Ask the End"