An unstructured mathematical model for growth ofPleurotus ostreatus on lignocellulosic material in solid-state fermentation systems

Abstract

Inedible plant material, generated in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS), should be recycled preferably by bioregenerative methods that utilize enzymes or micro-organisms. This material consists of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin with the lignin fraction representing a recalcitrant component that is not readily treated by enzymatic methods. Consequently, the white-rot fungus,Pleurotus ostreatus, is attractive since it effectively degrades lignin and produces edible mushrooms. This work describes an unstructured model for the growth ofP. ostreatus in a solid-state fermentation system using lignocellulosic plant materials fromBrassica napus (rapeseed) as a substrate at three different particle sizes. A logistic function model based on area was found to fit the surface growth of the mycelium on the solid substrate with respect to time, whereas a model based on diameter, alone, did not fit the data as well. The difference between the two measures of growth was also evident for mycelial growth in a bioreactor designed to facilitate a slow flowrate of air through the 1.5 cm thick mat of lignocellulosic biomass particles. The result is consistent with the concept of competition of the mycelium for the substrate that surrounds it, rather than just substrate that is immediately available to single cells. This approach provides a quantitative measure ofP. ostreatus growth on lignocellulosic biomass in a solid-state fermentation system. The experimental data show that the best growth is obtained for the largest particles (1 cm) of the lignocellulosic substrate.