Integrated Process for Mycoprotein and Enzyme Production during Solid-State Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Materials Using Medicinal Mushrooms

This study evaluated the potential of Ganoderma lucidum BCC447 and Pleurotus ostreatus BCC2191 to enrich plant materials with mycoproteins and cellulases through solid-state fermentation (SSF) of wheat bran, shredded wheat, and soybean meal for the use of the fermented product as a natural food additive in poultry and livestock feed formulations. The maximum protein accumulation in plant substrates was detected after 12 d of mushroom cultivation. An additional carbon source, glycerol at a concentration of 80 mg/g substrate, provided an increase in protein compared with the control medium by 52.6%, 67.5%, and 42.6% in the SSF, respectively, of wheat bran, shredded wheat and soybean flour with G. lucidum and by 55.5%, 56.8%, and 45.5% in fermentation with P. ostreatus. The protein gain in the presence of additional organic nitrogen sources increased compared with the control medium by 59-88% with wheat bran fermentation and by 89-107% with soybean meal SSF. G. lucidum BCC447 and P. ostreatus BCC2191 due to their capacity of secreting a wide spectrum of enzymes, may become a preferred and inexpensive means to enrich lignocellulose with fungal protein and polysaccharide-hydrolyzing enzymes for use as a feed additive.