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Efficient conversion of tea residue nutrients: Screening and proliferation of edible fungi

Summary

Tea leaves left over from making instant tea are usually thrown away, but researchers found that special edible mushrooms can break down these tea residues and convert them into nutritious mushroom protein. Monascus kaoliang B6 was the most effective, using powerful enzymes to decompose the tough plant fibers in tea residue and transform the nutrients into edible mushroom biomass. This discovery offers an environmentally friendly way to recycle tea industry waste into a useful food product without using harsh chemicals.

Background

Tea residue from the instant tea industry is typically disposed of through incineration or composting, leading to environmental pollution and inefficient resource utilization. Despite containing valuable nutrients like proteins and polysaccharides, the lignocellulose structure in tea residue cell walls hinders nutrient extraction. Edible fungi can ferment tea residue under mild conditions, producing lignocellulose-degrading enzymes to facilitate nutrient release.

Objective

This study aimed to screen and evaluate edible fungi with high degradation efficiency for tea residue fermentation and assess their ability to convert tea residue nutrients into fungal biomass. The researchers examined six fungal strains for their growth rates, enzyme production, and nutrient conversion efficiency on tea residue substrates.

Results

Pleurotus pulmonarius and Lentinus sajor-caju showed fastest growth with colony radii of 33.1 and 28.5 mm respectively. Monascus kaoliang B6 achieved the highest conversion efficiency at 27.8%, attributed to superior cellulase (191 U·mL⁻¹) and lignin peroxidase (36.9 U·L⁻¹) activities. Co-fermentation of the three strains showed antagonistic interactions and limited improvement, with conversion rates of only 4.73-4.24%.

Conclusion

Monascus kaoliang B6 demonstrated the most effective tea residue degradation and nutrient conversion. Utilizing edible fungi for tea residue fermentation represents a sustainable bioprocess for waste treatment that converts nutrients efficiently under mild conditions without chemical additives. The antagonistic interactions observed in co-fermentation suggest that single-strain fermentation may be more effective than combined approaches.
  • Published in:Current Research in Food Science,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 39555019, DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2024.100907
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