Ligninolytic enzymes from Ganoderma spp: Current status and potential applications

Abstract

White-rot fungal species belonging to Ganoderma have long been used as medicinal mushrooms in many Asian countries. In recent years, however, attention is not just being paid to their pharmacological properties, but to their other potentially valuable features as well, including their secretion of enzymes which decompose lignin. The current literature regarding lignin-modifying enzymes from the genus Ganoderma, their potential uses, and the components, structures and processes of lignocellulose degradation are discussed. The ligninolytic enzymes from the genus Ganoderma, as well as the number of additional enzymes that participate in lignin degradation, are summarized; further, the potential applications of these enzymes are analyzed and probed in this article. This review will provide insight on the valuable applications of Ganoderma spp. and will serve as a useful reference on the use of lignocellulose degradation as a means of environmental protection.

Keywords::

• Degradation
• environmental protection
• enzyme system
• Ganoderma spp.
• lignocellulose

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Wenxia Song (Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA) for her help as well as providing a dynamic learning and working environment.

Declaration of interest

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Science and Technology Committee.