Hifas da Terra collaborated with the Oncology Research Group at the Biomedical Research Institute of A Coruña, INIBIC–SERGAS, on a laboratory research project involving selected fungal strains.
The work formed part of an R&D initiative examining strain selection, controlled cultivation and analytical characterisation.
Research under controlled laboratory conditions
The researchers prepared experimental extracts from selected fungal strains and examined them using an in-vitro cell-culture model.
“In vitro” describes research conducted outside a living organism, usually in laboratory containers under controlled conditions. These models allow researchers to observe how test materials interact with cells and to compare different samples using the same experimental procedures.
The project also examined a measurement known as IC50. In laboratory research, IC50 refers to the concentration of a test material associated with a 50% reduction in a specified cellular measurement under the conditions of the experiment.
IC50 is a technical research value. It does not indicate an appropriate dose for people and cannot be used to predict whether consuming an ingredient will produce the same effect in the human body.
Fungal-strain selection and cultivation
Another part of the project involved isolating and characterising selected fungal strains and studying their cultivation under controlled bioreactor conditions.
A bioreactor enables researchers to regulate factors such as temperature, nutrients and other cultivation parameters. This supports the comparison of strains and production processes under standardised conditions.
The resulting information contributed to Hifas da Terra’s technical knowledge of strain identification, cultivation and laboratory analysis.
What these findings mean
Cell-culture research is an early stage of scientific investigation. Results obtained in vitro cannot establish that an ingredient is safe or effective when consumed by people.
Further preclinical and clinical research would be necessary before conclusions could be drawn about human health. This project does not demonstrate that any commercially available food supplement prevents, treats or modifies a disease.