Analysis of morphological, physiological and biochemical features of saprophytic culture of Claviceps purpurea (Fries) Tulasne BKMF-2641D strain

Relevance. The strain of the fungus Claviceps purpurea (Fries) Tulasne BKMF-2641D is used in parasitic culture (on rye crops) to obtain medicinal raw materials containing the peptide ergoalkaloid ergotamine. The relevance of the study consists in solving the problem of saprophytic cultivation of the C. purpurea BKMF-2641D fungus strain for the production of ergotamine, which will allow the pharmaceutical industry to meet its growing needs for standard medicinal raw materials every year, regardless of the season, reduce production costs, create environmentally friendly production, and so on. Obtaining a mycelial culture of an ergot fungus is a starting point in solving both scientific and practical problems associated with the use of fungi - parasites C. purpurea (Fries) Tulasne as producers of biologically active compounds in a saprophytic culture and subsequently allows a comprehensive study of the cultivation of such a culturewithin artificial nutrient media. Material and methods. This paper presents the results of experiments aimed at obtaining a mycelial culture of ergot from the sclerotia of the strain of the parasite fungus C. purpurea BKMF-2641D with the subsequent study of growth, some morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of its cultivation in artificial nutrient media (T2, Tg and T25). Results. It was experimentally established that five to six days after placing a piece of sclerotium on the surface of agar medium T2, the growth of mycelium was visually recorded around it. The subsequent growth of the mycelium was accompanied by its compaction and filling both the entire surface of the slant T2 agar medium and inside the nutrient substrate. As the mycelium grew on days 20-30, its color changed from white to purple due to the fact that the pigment diffused into the nutrient medium. The fungus began to actively form conidia on the 14-30th day of growth. The density of the suspension of conidia in 10 ml of washout from the mycelium surface was 5.8±0.20x109 pcs/ml on the 30th day of growth. The culture of the fungus in liquid nutrient medium T25 was a suspension of mycelium and a small amount of conidia. The color of the culture liquid varied depending on the age of the culture: from milky white at the beginning to gray or sometimes beige at the end of fermentation. In this case, the synthesis of ergot alkaloids was not observed. Conclusion. The experiments showed that the transfer of the parasitic fungus strain C. purpurea BKMF-2641D to saprophytic cultivation conditions (both superficial and deep) ensures good growth of the fungus. However, under the conditions of the study, the genes responsible for the synthesis of ergotamine did not work. At the same time, these genes are not lost, but specific conditions are required for their work.

strain BKMF-2641D, ergot alkaloids, growth