Abstract: Newly identified fungal sweet-taste modifying proteins, and the cDNA encoding said proteins are described. Specifically, Myd proteins active in sweet taste activation, and the cDNA encoding the same, are described, along with methods for isolating such cDNA and for isolating and expressing such proteins. Also disclosed is use of a sweetening composition which includes the proteins of the invention, and methods to provide improved flavor to a product for oral administration.

Abstract: Provided is a food composition which include a myceliated high-protein food product and methods to make such compositions, which are mixtures of myceliated high-protein food products and other edible materials. A food composition includes dairy alternative products, ready to mix beverages and beverage bases; extruded and extruded/puffed products; sheeted baked goods; meat analogs and extenders; baked goods and baking mixes; granola; and soups/soup bases. Food compositions also include texturized plant protein which can be used for making meat-structured plant protein meat analog or meat extender products. The food compositions have reduced undesirable flavors and reduced undesirable aromas due to use of myceliated high-protein food products as compared to use of similar high-protein material that is not myceliated.

Abstract: Provided is a method for production of a myceliated cacao product having reduced acidity, astringency, and/or bitterness tastes which optionally includes the steps of providing harvested cacao comprising beans, pulp and/or pods from the fruit pods of the species Theobroma cacao and fermenting the harvested cacao, preferably by a conventional fermentation process. In another step, a fungal inoculum comprising a filamentous fungus comprising, in one embodiment, Hericium erinaceus is used to inoculate the harvested cacao and the combination is cultured in a supplemental fermentation step for, for example, 1 to 2 days to produce the myceliated cacao product. The myceliated cacao product is optionally dried. In one aspect, a chocolate produced from the myceliated cacao product has reduced acidity, astringency, and/or bitterness tastes compared to a chocolate prepared from an unmyceliated cacao product. Products prepared by the methods described herein are also provided.

Abstract: Provided is a composition for oral administration, which can include a combination of an extracellular portion from a mycelial aqueous culture comprising a filamentous fungus, and at least one of a cannabis oil or a cannabinoid and optionally, a material comprising a surfactant or an oil, and wherein the composition has a reduced undesirable taste compared with the same composition lacking the extracellular portion. Also provided is a method for reducing undesirable tastes in a composition comprising a cannabinoid or cannabis oil for oral administration, which include adding an extracellular portion from a mycelial aqueous culture comprising a filamentous fungus to the cannabinoid-containing or cannabis oil-containing product for oral administration in an amount sufficient to reduce at least one undesirable taste in the composition.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to prepare a myceliated high-protein food product, which includes culturing a fungi an aqueous media which has a high level of plant protein, for example at least 20 g protein per 100 g dry weight with excipients, on a dry weight basis. The plant protein can include pea, rice and/or chickpea. The fungi can include comprises Lentinula spp., Agaricus spp., Pleurotus spp., Boletus spp., or Laetiporus spp. After culturing, the material is harvested by obtaining the myceliated high-protein food product via drying or concentrating. The resultant myceliated high-protein food product may have its taste, flavor, or aroma modulated, such as by increasing desirable flavors or tastes such as meaty, savory, umami, popcorn and/or by decreasing undesirable flavors such as bitterness, astringency or beaniness. Deflavoring and/or deodorizing as compared to non-myceliated control materials can also be observed. Also disclosed are myceliated high-protein food products.

Abstract: Provided is a method to prepare a protein food product based on solid state fermentation, which includes the steps of preparing a sterilized substrate comprising a grain such as rice or quinoa and a plant protein concentrate or isolate such as pea protein, inoculating the sterilized substrate with a filamentous fungal culture such as Morchella esculenta culture, and culturing the filamentous fungal culture in the substrate, resulting in a myceliated substrate that has texture more similar to meat and/or improved flavor and aroma when cooked as compared to control substrate (e.g., unmyceliated). Similarity in texture to cooked meat includes increased spring and cohesiveness on chewing, and also where the protein food product, and the improved flavor includes increased savory and umami and decreased bitterness and improved aroma includes decreased pea or beany aroma.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to prepare a myceliated low-quality protein composition, which includes culturing a filamentous fungus an aqueous media. Examples of low-quality protein compositions include corn gluten meal. After culturing, the material is harvested by obtaining the myceliated low-quality protein composition via drying or concentrating. The resultant composition may have its taste, flavor, or aroma modulated, such as by deflavoring and/or deodorizing. Also disclosed are myceliated low-quality protein compositions, food products comprising such compositions, and methods to make such products.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composition comprising a combination of at least one flavor compound and a taste-modulating portion of a filamentous fungus mycelial aqueous culture, e.g. a mycelia is from a Cordyceps spp, where the flavor compound is a combination and sodium chloride and potassium chloride and when combined with food, beverage or other product, reduces metallic and/or bitter taste resulting from the presence of KCl and provides an extended “salt” flavor perception in the product. The flavor compound can also include at where the at least one flavor compound is a bitterness blocker or a bitterness masker, wherein the combination is capable of synergistically reducing bitter tastes or reducing aftertastes of a food, beverage, or other product. Methods to enhance the taste of a food, beverage or other product using the flavor compounds and taste-modifying portions of a filamentous fungus are also disclosed.

Abstract: Newly identified fungal sweet-taste modifying proteins, and the cDNA encoding said proteins are described. Specifically, Myd proteins active in sweet taste activation, and the cDNA encoding the same, are described, along with methods for isolating such cDNA and for isolating and expressing such proteins. Also disclosed is use of a sweetening composition which includes the proteins of the invention, and methods to provide improved flavor to a product for oral administration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to prepare a myceliated high-protein food product, which includes culturing a fungi an aqueous media which has a high level of plant protein, for example at least 20 g protein per 100 g dry weight with excipients, on a dry weight basis. The plant protein can include pea, rice and/or chickpea. The fungi can include comprises Lentinula spp., Agaricus spp., Pleurotus spp., Boletus spp., or Laetiporus spp. After culturing, the material is harvested by obtaining the myceliated high-protein food product via drying or concentrating. The resultant myceliated high-protein food product may have its taste, flavor, or aroma modulated, such as by increasing desirable flavors or tastes such as meaty, savory, umami, popcorn and/or by decreasing undesirable flavors such as bitterness, astringency or beaniness. Deflavoring and/or deodorizing as compared to non-myceliated control materials can also be observed. Also disclosed are myceliated high-protein food products.

Abstract: Newly identified fungal sweet-taste modifying proteins, and the cDNA encoding said proteins are described. Specifically, Myd proteins active in sweet taste activation, and the cDNA encoding the same, are described, along with methods for isolating such cDNA and for isolating and expressing such proteins. Also disclosed is use of a sweetening composition which includes the proteins of the invention, and methods to provide improved flavor to a product for oral administration.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the use of a sweetening composition comprising (i) a mycelia of an ascomycete or an aqueous extract thereof or (ii) an aqueous extract of a fruiting body of an ascomycete, to provide improved flavor to a product for oral administration, as well as to a sweetening composition comprising (i) a mycelia of an ascomycete or an aqueous extract thereof or (ii) an aqueous extract of a fruiting body of an ascomycete as well as to compositions comprising combinations of sweetening compositions and a product for oral administration.

Abstract: Methods, and compositions derived thereof, for preparing a myceliated amino-acid-supplemented high-protein food product having desired digestibility and amino acid content. An aqueous medium comprising a high-protein material is inoculated with a fungal culture to produce a myceliated amino acid-supplemented high-protein food product. The plant protein can include pea, rice and/or chickpea protein. The fungi can include Lentinula spp., Agaricus spp., Pleurotus spp., Boletus spp., or Laetiporus spp. Preferably, the myceliated amino acid-supplemented high-protein food product has reduced bitterness and/or reduced volatile amino-acid-derived aroma compared to high-protein amino acid-supplemented material that is not myceliated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the preparation of a myceliated cacao bean or other agricultural product. This method includes providing cacao beans or other agricultural substrate, optionally hydrating the cacao beans or other agricultural product, and optionally pasteurizing or sterilizing the cacao beans or other agricultural substrate to provide prepared cacao beans or other agricultural substrate, and a step of inoculating the prepared cacao beans or other agricultural substrate with a prepared fungal component and culturing the inoculated cacao beans or other agricultural substrate to prepare the myceliated product.

Abstract: Provided is a food composition which include a myceliated high-protein food product and methods to make such compositions, which are mixtures of myceliated high-protein food products and other edible materials. A food composition includes dairy alternative products, ready to mix beverages and beverage bases; extruded and extruded/puffed products; sheeted baked goods; meat analogs and extenders; baked goods and baking mixes; granola; and soups/soup bases. Food compositions also include texturized plant protein which can be used for making meat-structured plant protein meat analog or meat extender products. The food compositions have reduced undesirable flavors and reduced undesirable aromas due to use of myceliated high-protein food products as compared to use of similar high-protein material that is not myceliated.

Abstract: Provided is a food composition which include a myceliated high-protein food product and methods to make such compositions, which are mixtures of myceliated high-protein food products and other edible materials. A food composition includes dairy alternative products, ready to mix beverages and beverage bases; extruded and extruded/puffed products; sheeted baked goods; meat analogs and extenders; baked goods and baking mixes; granola; and soups/soup bases. Food compositions also include texturized plant protein which can be used for making meat-structured plant protein meat analog or meat extender products. The food compositions have reduced undesirable flavors and reduced undesirable aromas due to use of myceliated high-protein food products as compared to use of similar high-protein material that is not myceliated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the preparation of a gluten-containing grain having lowered levels of gluten. The method includes providing a prepared gluten-containing grain which may be optionally sterilized or pasteurized. The prepared gluten-containing grain is then inoculated with a prepared fungal component and incubated. In one embodiment the prepared fungal component myceliates the prepared gluten-containing grain while incubated and during this process hydrolyzes gluten in the prepared gluten-containing grain. The present invention also includes a gluten-containing grain having lowered levels of gluten which has been prepared by the methods of the invention.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to prepare myceliated vegetable product which includes culturing fungi in an aqueous media which contains vegetables, fruits, and/or combinations thereof. Examples of vegetables used in the processes of the invention include carrot, spinach, kale, beet, broccoli, and combinations thereof. Fungi used include Lentinula edodes. The resultant myceliated nutrient food product has its flavor, or aroma modulated, such as by decreasing undesirable flavor of bitterness, beet, hay/herbal/grassy or decreasing undesirable aroma of beet or hay/herbal/grassy. Products made according to the invention have a nutritional profile comprising a measurable level of at least one of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium, folate, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, or Vitamin C, and a dose 10 g of the myceliated vegetable product can provide a significant amount of the daily requirement of certain vitamins and minerals.

Abstract: A method enhancing the taste of a food product, which includes the steps of culturing a mycelial liquid tissue culture in a media, collecting a extracellular portion of the mycelial aqueous culture, e.g., the extracellular fluid of the mycelial liquid aqueous culture, and adding the collected extracellular portion fluid to a food product in an amount sufficient to enhance the food product's taste. The extracellular portion of the mycelial aqueous culture may include C. sinensis, and the culture step may be carried out for between about one and sixty days. The food products include foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals and dairy alternative products, beverages and beverage bases, extruded and extruded/puffed products, meat imitations and extenders, baked goods and baking mixes, granola products, bar products, smoothies and juices, and soups and soup bases.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method to prepare a myceliated high-protein food product, which includes culturing a fungi an aqueous media which has a high level of plant protein, for example at least 20 g protein per 100 g dry weight with excipients, on a dry weight basis. The plant protein can include pea, rice and/or chickpea. The fungi can include comprises Lentinula spp., Agaricus spp., Pleurotus spp., Boletus spp., or Laetiporus spp. After culturing, the material is harvested by obtaining the myceliated high-protein food product via drying or concentrating. The resultant myceliated high-protein food product may have its taste, flavor, or aroma modulated, such as by increasing desirable flavors or tastes such as meaty, savory, umami, popcorn and/or by decreasing undesirable flavors such as bitterness, astringency or beaniness. Deflavoring and/or deodorizing as compared to non-myceliated control materials can also be observed. Also disclosed are myceliated high-protein food products.