High-Molecular-Weight Exopolysaccharides Production from Tuber brochii Cultivated by Submerged Fermentation

Truffles are known worldwide for their peculiar taste, aroma, and nutritious properties, which increase their economic value. However, due to the challenges associated with the natural cultivation of truffles, including cost and time, submerged fermentation has turned out to be a potential alternative. Therefore, in the current study, the cultivation of Tuber borchii in submerged fermentation was executed to enhance the production of mycelial biomass, exopolysaccharides (EPSs), and intracellular polysaccharides (IPSs). The mycelial growth and EPS and IPS production was greatly impacted by the choice and concentration of the screened carbon and nitrogen sources. The results showed that sucrose (80 g/L) and yeast extract (20 g/L) yielded maximum mycelial biomass (5.38 ± 0.01 g/L), EPS (0.70 ± 0.02 g/L), and IPS (1.76 ± 0.01 g/L). The time course analysis of truffle growth revealed that the highest growth and EPS and IPS production was observed on the 28th day of the submerged fermentation. Molecular weight analysis performed by the gel permeation chromatography method revealed a high proportion of high-molecular-weight EPS when 20 g/L yeast extract was used as media and the NaOH extraction step was carried out. Moreover, structural analysis of the EPS using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that the EPS was β-(1–3)-glucan, which is known for its biomedical properties, including anti-cancer and anti-microbial activities. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first FTIR analysis for the structural characterization of β-(1–3)-glucan (EPS) produced from Tuber borchii grown in submerged fermentation.