Biological Characteristics, Artificial Domestication Conditions Optimization, and Bioactive Components of Beauveria caledonica

In this study, one strain of Beauveria caledonica was isolated from wild fruiting bodies collected from Guizhou Province, China, and its species identification, biological characteristics, domestication, and cultivation methods were studied along with polysaccharide and adenosine content analysis. The mycelia were identified by ITS sequencing, and the fruiting bodies of B. caledonica were domestically cultivated for the first time using wheat and rice as basic cultivation media. The carbon sources, nitrogen sources, cultivation temperatures, and pH for mycelial growth were optimized through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) experiments. The polysaccharide content was detected by the phenol–sulfuric acid method, and the adenosine content was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results confirmed that the identified mycelia were B. caledonica. The optimum medium for solid culture was 25.8 g/L glycerol, 10.9 g/L yeast extract, 1 g/L MgSO4·7H2O, 1 g/L KH2PO4, 10 mg/L vitamin B1, and 20 g/L agar; the optimum pH was 6.5, and the optimum culture temperature was 25 °C. The optimal liquid culture medium was 26.2 g/L glycerol, 11.1 g/L yeast extract, 1 g/L MgSO4·7H2O, 1 g/L KH2PO4, and 10 mg/L vitamin B1; the mycelia grew well at pH 6.6 and 25 °C. The average biological efficiencies of fruiting bodies on wheat and rice as culture media were 1.880% and 2.115%, respectively; the polysaccharide contents of fruiting bodies on the two media were 6.635% and 9.264%, respectively, while the adenosine contents were 0.145% and 0.150%, respectively. This study provides a valuable reference for further artificial cultivation and utilization of B. caledonica by investigating its biological characteristics, cultivation conditions for artificial domestication, and polysaccharide and adenosine contents in cultivated fruiting bodies.