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Olive mill solid waste induces beneficial mushroom-specialized metabolite diversity revealed by computational metabolomics strategies

Summary

This study shows how adding olive mill waste to mushroom growing substrate can increase beneficial compounds in mushrooms while reducing harmful toxins. Researchers grew two types of edible mushrooms (lion’s mane and king oyster) on substrate containing different amounts of olive mill waste and used advanced chemical analysis to identify how the waste affected the mushrooms’ medicinal compounds. Adding olive mill waste increased healthy compounds like hericenones and erinacerins while decreasing toxic enniatin compounds, potentially creating safer and more nutritious mushrooms for consumers.

Background

Mushrooms contain diverse specialized metabolites with bioactive properties and have been used for dietary and medicinal purposes for centuries. Hericium erinaceus and Pleurotus eryngii are commercially grown edible and medicinal mushrooms. To make mushroom farming more sustainable, olive mill solid waste (OMSW) has been added to growing substrates, but the impact on mushroom metabolic content has not been comprehensively assessed.

Objective

To examine the effect of different proportions of olive mill solid waste (0%, 33%, 60%, and 80%) added to mushroom substrate on the metabolic profiles of fruiting bodies and mycelium of Hericium erinaceus and Pleurotus eryngii mushrooms. To use computational metabolomics strategies to identify and prioritize metabolite features affected by OMSW concentration.

Results

Hericium erinaceus fruiting bodies and mycelium were more enriched with specialized metabolites than Pleurotus eryngii. OMSW increased several hericenone analogues in H. erinaceus fruiting bodies and erinacerin metabolites in mycelium. High OMSW concentrations decreased enniatin metabolite abundance, which are toxic mycotoxins. Computational metabolomics strategies successfully identified and prioritized affected metabolite families.

Conclusion

Substrate composition with OMSW affects the mushroom specialized metabolome, inducing beneficial metabolites like hericenones and erinacerins while reducing harmful enniatin toxins. Computational metabolomics strategies provide a versatile framework for investigating substrate additives and their effects on edible mushroom metabolic content and diversity, supporting safer and nutritionally enhanced functional food development.
  • Published in:Metabolomics,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.1007/s11306-025-02257-9, PMID: 40281221
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