Cogumelos no Parque Nacional Itatiaia : diversidade e cultivo de espécies comestíveis

Abstract

Edible mushrooms are an important source of medicinal and nutritional resources, with an estimated 2,000 species described in the literature. However, despite the rich biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest, knowledge about these mushrooms in Brazil is still limited. This study was conducted in Itatiaia National Park, Brazil's first conservation unit, which preserves a significant area of Atlantic Forest and potentially harbors species relevant to science. In total, 3,450 mushroom samples were collected from different altitude plots and times of year, with 916 types of mushrooms identified morphologically and molecularly, distributed in 9 orders, 30 families and 37 genera. The Basidiomycota phylum was predominant, especially the Agaricales order, which accounted for 58.18% of the samples identified. In addition, 29 isolates were isolated and kept in an in vitro collection, on Potato Dextrose Agar (BDA) media, with experimental cultivations, resulting in the identification of 14 possible edible species, including the cultivation of Irpex rosettiformis using the JunCao technique. The study combined traditional taxonomic methods with modern molecular techniques, providing a detailed overview of mushroom diversity in the region. In vitro mycological collections are valuable resources for future studies and practical applications in various scientific fields. The implications of this work are vast, as the knowledge generated can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, the development of new food and therapeutic products, as well as more sustainable agricultural practices, underlining the importance of continued research into the mycobiota of the Atlantic Forest.