Three-dimensional principal component analysis employed for the study of the β-glucosidase production of Lentinus edodes strains

The effect of cation type and concentration and fermentation time on the β-glucosidase production of four strains of Lentinus edodes was determined. Three-dimensional principal component analysis (3D-PCA) followed by nonlinear mapping technique (NLMAP) was employed for the assessment of similarities and dissimilarities between the enzymatic activities. No linear relationship was found between the effect of cations on the enzyme production and their ion radii, concentration and charge. Enzyme production was similar between 20 and 40 days of fermentation then changed considerably. The enzyme activities of strains also showed marked differences. The results proved that 3D-PCA followed by NLMAP is a valuable tool for the evaluation of three-dimensional data matrices in biology and microbiology too.