Penicillium mold is a plant that has become widespread in nature. It belongs to the class of imperfect ones. At the moment, there are more than 250 of its varieties. Golden pinicill, otherwise a racemose green mold, is of particular importance. This variety is used for the manufacture of a medicinal product. "Penicillin" based on this fungus allows you to overcome many bacteria.
Habitat
Penicillus is a multicellular fungus for which the soil is a natural habitat. Very often, this plant can be seen in the form of blue or green plaque. It grows on all kinds of substrates. However, it is most often found on the surface of plant mixtures.
Mushroom structure
As for the structure, the penicillin mushroom is very similar to aspergillus, which also belongs to the family of moldy fungi. The vegetative mycelium of this plant is transparent and branching. It usually consists of a large number of cells. Penicillus differs from mucor by mycelium. He has it multicellular. As for the mycelium of mucor, it is unicellular.
Vultures of penicillus are either located on the surface of the substrate, or penetrate into it. The rising and erect conidiophores depart from this part of the fungus. Similar formations, as a rule, branch in the upper part and form brushes that carry colored unicellular pores. These are conidia. Plant brushes, in turn, can be of several types:
- asymmetrical;
- three-tier;
- two-tier;
- single-tier.
A certain type of penicillum forms bundles from conidia, which are called coremia. Propagation of the fungus is carried out by spreading spores.
Why is it a parasite
Parasite fungi (penicillus and mucor) provoke spoilage of products, and also take an active part in the decomposition of tissues of animal and plant origin. This is due to a large number of enzymes. It is worth noting that mold plaque on the plant substrate can be formed simultaneously by several varieties of the fungus. In this case, the nutrition of this species of plants is carried out by absorption of finished organic components. It is for this reason that penicillin is considered a parasite.
Is it harmful to humans?
Many believe that penicillin fungi are bacteria. However, this is not the case. Some varieties of this plant have pathogenic properties in relation to animal organisms and humans. Most of the damage is done in cases where the mold affects agricultural and food products, intensively multiplying inside them. If stored improperly, the penicillus affects the feed. If fed to animals, then their death is not excluded. Indeed, inside such a feed accumulates a large number of toxic substances that adversely affect health.
Pharmaceutical Applications
Could penicillium mushroom be beneficial? The bacteria that cause certain viral diseases are unstable to an antibiotic made from mold. Some varieties of these plants are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to their ability to produce enzymes. Penicillin, which fights many types of bacteria, is obtained from Penicillium notatum and Penicillium chrysogenum.
It is worth noting that the manufacture of this drug takes place in several stages. To begin with, the fungus is grown. For this, corn extract is used. This substance allows you to get the best penicillin products. After this, the fungus is grown by immersing the culture in a special fermenter. Its volume is several thousand liters. There, plants actively reproduce.
After extraction from the liquid medium, the penicillus mushroom undergoes additional processing. At this stage of production, salt solutions and organic solvents are used. Such substances make it possible to obtain final products: potassium and sodium salt of penicillin.
Molds and food industry
Due to some properties, penicillin mushroom is widely used in the food industry. Certain varieties of this plant are used in cheese making. Typically, these are Penicillium Roquefort and Penicillium camemberti. These types of mold are used in the manufacture of cheeses such as Stiltosh, Gornzgola, Roquefort and so on. This "marble" product has a loose structure. Cheeses of this variety are characterized by a specific aroma and appearance.
It is worth noting that the penicillus culture is used at a certain stage in the manufacture of such products. For example, to obtain Roquefort cheese, the Penicillium Roquefort mold strain is used. This type of fungus can multiply even in a loose pressed curd mass. This mold tolerates low oxygen concentrations. In addition, the fungus is resistant to high levels of salts in an acidic environment.
Penicillin is able to secrete lipolytic and proteolytic enzymes that affect milk fats and proteins. Under the influence of these substances, the cheese acquires friability, oiliness, as well as a specific aroma and taste.
In conclusion
The properties of the penicillin mushroom are not yet fully understood. Scientists regularly conduct new research. This allows you to identify new properties of mold. Such work allows you to study metabolic products. In the future, this will allow the use of the penicillin mushroom in practice.