13 September 2022
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Story Leonie Bolleurs
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Photo Elfrieda van den Berg
Prof Ahmed M Abdel-Azeem presented Prof Marieka Gryzenhout, botanist and lecturer in the UFS Department of Genetics, with honorary membership of the Arab Society for Fungal Conservation, of which he is the founder and chairperson.
He talked about ‘Fungi in Egypt: a galaxy to discover’. Besides the history of fungi in Egypt, he also looked at the effect of climate change on fungi, how to conserve them, and future perspectives.
Prof Abdel-Azeem’s research focuses on studying fungi in their different habitats as well as their application in medicines, the pharmaceutical, industrial, agricultural, and biotechnological fields.
Asked why this specific research interest, he explains, “This is where we find new active molecules all the time against cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, liver diseases, diabetes, multidrug resistant bacteria, Alzheimer’s, etc.”
Trillions of dollars
Apart from human health, fungi are a very important source of a myriad of common and unusual chemicals and products, with an estimated US dollar value in the trillions.
In agriculture, for instance, one looks at composting, crop health, silage, and soil health. In animal health, fungi have applications in, for example, veterinary fungal medicines.
In terms of biodegradation and biotechnology, fungi play an essential role in the biosorption of heavy metals and the detoxification of agrochemicals. It is also key in preserving water quality by degrading pollutants such as dyes, medicines, and phenols. Moreover, it enhances industrial production of, for instance, cardboard, paper, and denim fabrics.
Regarding biodeterioration, it contributes to the destruction of manufactured goods, timber, food spoilage, and post-harvest losses.
Fungal medicines (antibiotics, anticancer drugs, anticoagulants, antioxidants, potential pharmaceuticals, etc.) and medicinal fungi such as health food supplements, as well as traditional medicines are derived from fungi and promotes natural human health.
With reference to ecosystem services and natural capital, fungi can be applied in bio-weathering and soil formation, carbon sequestration (e.g., fungal mycelium in leaf litter and soils), maintenance of soil fertility and water quality, nutrient recycling (decay of forest litter and fallen wood, symbiosis with termites), in protecting soil against erosion, and to support photosynthesis.
Fungi are also in the yeast used to ferment alcoholic drinks and leavening bread. Moreover, it also has an application in chocolate and cheese production, as well as soft drinks, with its application in citric acid production.
Loss of fungal diversity can result in poverty, with effects such as the deterioration of water quality, increased incidences of crop diseases and crop pests, loss of access to traditional medicines, loss of non-wood products from natural forests, and loss of soil fertility.
Climate change
Prof Abdel-Azeem’s recent interests include climate change and fungal conservation.
Fungi are largely overlooked, despite being the ecological engineers. He believes if we are to solve the climate catastrophe, we must confront a global blind spot – the vast underground fungal networks that absorb carbon and sustain a significant amount of life on earth.
“Most fungi exist as networks of mycelium (a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae). The entire length of fungal mycelium in the top 10 cm of soil on earth is more than 450 quadrillion km, or about half the width of our galaxy. Unquestionably, the symbiotic networks that make up the ancient life-support system are one of the wonders of the living world,” says Prof Abdel-Azeem.
He continues, “About 25% of all species in the world dwell underground, and fungal activity floods carbon into the soil, where it supports complex food webs. Since a large portion of it is still present in the soil, subsurface ecosystems serve as the stable repository for 75% of all terrestrial carbon.”
“Fungi, however, are largely ignored in climate change strategies, conservation plans, and restoration initiatives in favour of aboveground ecosystems. This is an issue, since the disruption of crucial global nutrient cycles and the acceleration of climate change and biodiversity loss are caused by the breakdown of subsurface fungal networks,” states Prof Abdel-Azeem.
He is of the opinion that – just as animals and plants are threatened by climate change, habitat destruction, invasive organisms, pollution, excessive harvesting, and in some cases persecution – so are fungal habitats. “Fungal diversity must be preserved,” he says.
Ancient Egypt
Prof Abdel-Azeem also talked about the history of fungi in Egypt. According to him, although only a few people have realised it yet, Egypt should be considered one of the mycological cradles of the ancient world, in that Egyptian artists symbolically represented mature and immature mushrooms as early as 5619 B.C.
He says not only did Egyptian artists conspicuously depict mushrooms on temple walls, as pillars, and as ear studs, those artists also transformed mushrooms into the so-called Was sceptres (symbols of power or dominion), the Ankh (key of life), the Eye of Horus (symbol in ancient Egyptian religion representing well-being, healing, and protection), and the deity we call Osiris.
He adds that the priests considered entheogenic mushrooms as divine gifts. They believed that ingesting such mushrooms rendered them and their ancestors divine and immortal. “Egyptian kings, who were also high priests, therefore maintained that only they could ingest entheogenic mushrooms and that the laity should not even touch such mushrooms.”
According to Prof Abdel-Azeem, the Egyptian priests apparently also observed that moulds, which may have included Penicillia, could prevent skin infections. They recommended using mouldy breadcrumbs, salt, and rags to heal skin abrasions and contusions. “Although that practice was still a long way from the modern practice of using antibiotics to prevent and treat infections, the Egyptian practice was undoubtedly based on the same observations that scientists used millennia later to discover and make antibiotics,” he says.
The future
“Where plants produce and animals consume, fungi are the recyclers. Without fungi, life on earth would be unsustainable,” he states.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has recognised that fungal conservation is just as important as animal and plant conservation and has called on governments worldwide to pay much more attention to fungal conservation.
“Compared to many animals and plants, very little is known about fungi. That knowledge gap needs to be explicitly recognised and plans should be prepared to deal with it,” concludes Prof Abdel-Azeem.