Oxidative stress and culture atmosphere effects on bioactive compounds and laccase activity in the white rot fungus on birch wood substrate.

Wood-decaying white rot fungi live in changing environmental conditions and may switch from aerobic to fermentative metabolism under oxygen depletion. Decomposition of wood and lignocellulose by fungi is dependent on enzymatic and oxidative biochemistry including generation of reactive oxygen species. In this study, we subjected semi-solid wood-substrate cultures of the white rot fungus to oxidative stress by addition of hydrogen peroxide under aerobic and anaerobic cultivation conditions.