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Biorefining spent substrates of shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus): enzymatic saccharification of cellulose and xylan, with lignin recovery from residues

Summary

This research explores how to turn leftover mushroom growing material into useful products. After mushrooms are harvested, significant waste remains that contains valuable sugars and lignin. The study found that shiitake mushroom waste is naturally easier to break down into sugars than oyster mushroom waste, and they developed methods to extract high-purity lignin from the leftovers. This approach could help mushroom farmers reduce waste while creating valuable materials for biofuels and other products.

Background

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is the main by-product of mushroom cultivation, generating 3-5 kg per kg of produced mushrooms. SMS contains significant amounts of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin that remain undigested after fungal cultivation. The lignocellulosic composition of SMS makes it a potential biorefinery feedstock for recovery of sugars and valuable compounds.

Objective

To investigate enzymatic saccharification of polysaccharides in SMS from shiitake and oyster mushrooms and to explore lignin extraction from saccharification residues. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of both fungal species as biological pretreatment agents and to evaluate enzymatic digestibility of both cellulose and xylan.

Results

Shiitake SMS demonstrated higher digestibility with cellulose digestibility above 80% and xylan 70% using Cellic CTec2, compared to oyster mushroom SMS at 52% and 32% respectively. Hydrothermal treatment improved oyster mushroom SMS cellulose digestibility to 84%. Lignin extracted from residues showed 98.8% purity without cellulose or xylan contamination.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that shiitake cultivation serves as a superior biological pretreatment method compared to oyster mushroom cultivation. A biorefinery approach combining enzymatic saccharification with lignin recovery enables efficient recovery of fermentable sugars and high-quality lignin from SMS, supporting circular economy development in mushroom industry.
  • Published in:Bioengineered,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40736309, DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2025.2536443
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