Medicinal Mushrooms of Colonso Chalupas: A Comprehensive Study of Their Chemical Profile and Biological Activity for Biotechnological Applications.

The Colonso Chalupas Biological Reserve constitutes an immense source of biodiversity, making it a focal point for the study of unexplored species. Fungi are considered a non-timber resource of great ecological, cultural, and economic importance due to their medicinal and nutraceutical values. According to literature, fungi of the genera Trametes and Ganoderma exhibit significant bioactivity due to the presence of various secondary metabolites such as phenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, terpenoids, terphenyls, and other smaller molecular weight compounds. These molecules provide the fungi with antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, and antidiabetic properties. Despite this potential, Ecuador lacks studies on these genera using advanced analytical techniques like UPLC-MS and GC-MS, which have potential applications in medicine, nutraceuticals, and sustainable agriculture.

This study will focus on analyzing the biological activity and identifying the metabolites present in various extracts of fungi from the Biological Reserve. This will allow for the recognition of the individual biological characteristics of each, offering the opportunity to identify molecules with attractive biotechnological potential. Fungi with relevant biological activity could be considered for future research in medicine, agroecology, and biotrade.

This would not only benefit surrounding indigenous communities, who could commercialize the studied fungal strains, but also promote the valorization of Amazonian biological resources in the living laboratory of Ikiam, contributing to the sustainable use of biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Determine the biotechnological potential of medicinal fungi from the Ganoderma and Trametes genera isolated from the Colonso Chalupas Reserve by characterizing their chemical profile and biological activity.

OE1: Isolate and identify fungal strains with medicinal potential from the genera *Ganoderma* and *Trametes* to establish a "microorganism bank."
OE2: Determine the biological activity of the isolated fungi to identify their medicinal properties.
OE3: Identify metabolites present in the isolated medicinal fungi, prioritizing those that exhibit significant *in vitro* biological activity.