Evaluation of six white-rot fungal pretreatments on corn stover for the production of cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzymes, reducing sugars, and ethanol

Fungal pretreatment on lignocellulosic biomass has the advantages of being eco-friendly, having low operating cost, and producing no inhibitor. In this study, six white-rot fungi (Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Coriolopsis gallica, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Lentinula edodes) were applied to corn stover pretreatment. Biomass degradation, production of enzymes, reducing sugar via hydrolysis, and ethanol yield via yeast fermentation were quantified during 30days cultivation, and samples were taken every 5days. Among six fungi, the highest lignin degradation was 38.29% at 30days for P. sajor-caju pretreatment, the highest sugar yield was 71.24%, and the highest ethanol yield was 0.124gg(-1) corn stover under P. sajor-caju pretreatment for 25days. The highest activities of laccase and manganese peroxidase were 29.22 and 10.22Ug(-1) dry biomass, respectively, under T. versicolor pretreatment at 25days. The highest levels of enzyme, sugar, and ethanol production are comparable or higher than what has been reported in previous literature. P. sajor-caju is one of the most widely worldwide cultivated mushrooms. The findings in this study show the potential to incorporate P. sajor-caju mushroom cultivation into corn stover pretreatment to enhance the production of a suite of products such as enzymes, sugars, and ethanol.