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Fungi are made up of hundreds of different species, all of which are extremely valuable to mankind in terms of economics. As a matter of fact, our lives are intricately intertwined with the lives of fungi. Few days go by when we are not either benefited or injured by these species, either directly or indirectly.
They serve a major function in medicine by producing antibiotics, in agriculture by preserving soil fertility and causing crop and fruit illnesses, in many industries by forming the base of production, and in food production by providing a significant source of protein. Some fungi are valuable research tools in the study of fundamental biological processes, and some of these fungi are found in nature.
Food, fabrics, leather, rubber, plastic, and even glass can all be spoiled by fungus. Molds and yeasts, in particular, are very harmful because they cause the deterioration of stored items such as foodstuffs, textiles, leather, rubber, plastic, and even glass.
Role of Fungi in Medicine
Some fungi produce chemicals that are beneficial in the treatment of disorders caused by pathogenic bacteria. Antibiotics are the names given to these compounds.
Thus, an antibiotic is defined as an organic compound produced by a microbe that prevents the growth of certain other germs from reproducing. Molds, actinomycetes, and bacteria are responsible for the production of the majority of antibiotics.
They are employed in the fight against pathogenic bacteria and viruses and their harmful effects. Antibiotics are used for a variety of purposes other than illness therapy.
The addition of some antibiotics to the feed of slaughtered animals in modest amounts encourages rapid growth and increases the quality of the meat products produced by the animals. The application of an antibiotic to the surface of freshly killed fowl keeps the fresh-killed flavour even after the poultry has been refrigerated for an extended period of time.
Antibiotic agents as pharmaceuticals have only been discovered relatively recently in history. Sir Alexander Fleming was the first to recognise the importance of fungi in the production of antibiotic compounds back in 1929.
Penicillium notatum is the plant from which he extracted the famous antibiotic Penicillin. It was the first antibiotic to be widely used in clinical settings. In the world of bacteria, penicillin is an organic chemical that is fatal. In comparison to conventional medications and germicides, it is far more effective.
It has no detrimental effect on human protoplasm but kills bacteria notably gram-positive types. Penicillin is now manufactured on a commercial scale all over the world including India from the enhanced strains of P. notatum and P. chrysogenum.
There is a Penicillin factory near Pimpri in India. The success of penicillin as an antibiotic was later shown to be limited. Naturally this led to additional research for novel antibiotics which would work on pathogenic bacteria and viruses not affected by penicillin.
Streptomycin is produced by the bacteria Streptomyces griseus. It has a significant deal of application in medicine. It is effective against a wide range of organisms that are not destroyed by penicillin, notably gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotics have also been isolated from Aspergillus cultures in a number of instances.
These, on the other hand, have not been shown to be as effective as penicillin. A number of antibiotics, including chloromycetin, aureomycin, terramycin, and other agents, are derived from actinomycetes that are not regarded as real filamentous bacteria by the scientific community.
They prevent the growth of many dangerous bacteria and are also used successfully in the treatment of several viral illnesses. Many animal and human infections which do not react rapidly to conventional antibiotics are efficiently healed by aureomycin.
Role of Fungi in Industry
In the industrial world, fungi are used in many different ways. In fact, fungi are the foundation of a lot of important businesses. There are a lot of ways in which certain fungi’s biochemical activities are used in the workplace.
Alcoholic Fermentation
There are two important industries that are based on this. These are getting ready to be made. Both are based on the fact that when yeasts ferment sugar solutions, they make ethyl alcohol and CO2.
In the brewing or wine making business, alcohol is the most important thing. The other byproduct, carbon dioxide, used to be let out as a waste.
Now carbon dioxide is also seen as a good byproduct. It is taken, frozen, and sold as “dry ice.” CO2 is a good thing to have in the baking or bread-making business.
It serves two purposes
- Causes the dough to rise.
- Make the bread light.
The other by-product, which is alcohol, is purely coincidental in its existence. Yeasts secrete an enzyme complex known as zymase, which is responsible for the conversion of sugar into alcoholic beverages. There are numerous great yeast strains available today.
In the production of industrial alcohol, moulds are used as starters to cause scarification of the starch, which is then dried. Yeast is used in the second stage of the process to act on the sugar.
Despite the fact that mould can finish the conversion to sugar, the yield is higher when yeast is used for the second step of the process. Mucor racemosus is a type of mould that is widely employed for the purpose of scarification.
M. rouxii, and a few species of Rhizopus are examples of this. The fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus is employed in the manufacturing of African indigenous beer.
Enzyme Preparation
Takamine has launched a few items with high enzymatic activity into the market as a result of his extensive research into the enzymes produced by the Aspergillus flavus-oryzae series, which he conducted for several years. Digestin, Polyzyme, Taka diastase, and other similar enzymes are available. They are employed in the dextrinisation of starch as well as the development of textiles processes.
On trays of moist, sterile bran, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae cultures produce a well-known amylase that has two starch breaking components, which is a well-known amylase. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used to make invertase, which is a type of enzyme. It has a wide range of industrial applications. It converts sucrose into a combination of glucose and fructose through the process of hydrolysis.
Preparation of Organic Acid
Oxalic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, gallic acid, fumaric acid, and other organic acids are produced commercially as a result of the metabolic activities of moulds and are among the most important organic acids produced.
Aspergillus niger produces oxalic acid as a byproduct of its fermentation process. Mold fermentation is responsible for the production of citric acid. Many different Penicillium species are employed for this purpose. The acid is generated on a large scale commercially and is far less expensive than the acid derived from citrus fruits. Sugars are used in the preparation of gluconic acid. Some species of Penicillium and Aspergillus are the most commonly used moulds for this purpose.
Gallic acid is produced on a commercial basis in Europe and the United States, among other places. The specifics of the procedure adopted, on the other hand, are unknown. It’s possible that it’s a variation on Calmete’s process.
Calmette (1902) discovered that gallic acid may be produced as a fermentation result of a tannin extract by the fungus Aspergillus gallomyces.
Importance in Agriculture Sector
- Fungal infections in plants and animals are caused by some fungi, and can inflict a great deal of economic damage
- In addition to having a harmful impact on the environment, they also provide numerous advantages in the agricultural industry. The benefits include the prevention and treatment of many diseases, the preservation of soil fertility by functioning as a decomposer of dead plants and animals, particularly in places where bacterial activity is low, the conversion of organic matter with the aid of enzymes, and many more
Conclusion
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that can be both unicellular and multicellular in nature, with a cell wall composed of chitin and polysaccharides as its primary structural components. It is believed that they have a thick, apparent nucleus that is filled with chromatin strands. Fungi are extremely important in a variety of ways, from preserving nutrients to regulating carbon dioxide levels. Fungi are employed in the medical business to aid in the creation of antibiotics, which are utilised not only for the treatment of diseases but also as an agent to accelerate the growth of animals in captivity. When it comes to agriculture, fungi can have both negative and favourable consequences. It has the potential to induce a variety of diseases, but it also has the potential to operate as a pesticide. Fungi play a significant role in the production of several foods. The creation of blue cheese and Camembert-type cheeses is also made easier with this ingredient.
