METHODS OF PRODUCING NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS USING MUSHROOMS FROM THE SPECIES Poria cocos OR Flammulina velutipes

摘要

Methods are described for producing reduced, methylated, biologically active forms of folate, including 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (i.e. 5-methyltetrahydropteroylglutamic acid), 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate and tetrahydrofolate. Edible mushroom-producing fungi are cultivated to enhance the uptake of pteroylmonoglutamate (synthetic folate) into edible portions of the plants. The mushroom-producing fungi reduce and methylate the pteroylmonoglutamates into activated folates. The cultivated mycelia or mushrooms of the mushroom-producing fungi are harvested, and may be consumed directly or processed into oral dosage formats (capsules, tablets, softgels, powders, gel packets, liquids, nutritional bars, beverages) for use as functional foods or nutritional supplements.

主权项

1. A method of producing an edible mushroom-producing fungi containing biologically active forms of folic acid, comprising the steps of:
(a) supplying a growth environment for cultivation of edible mushroom-producing fungi wherein the growth environment comprises a substrate and water; (b) adding a synthetic folate to the growth environment; (c) combining a spawn of at least one edible mushroom-producing fungi selected from the group consisting of Poria cocos and Flammulina velutipes with the substrate; (d) cultivating the edible mushroom-producing fungi in the growth environment for a sufficient time to permit the mushroom-producing fungi to accumulate a nutritionally significant amount of methylated folate.