title: Bioconversion of sugar cane crop residues with white-rot fungiPleurotus sp.
abstract: Four mushroom strains ofPleurotus spp. were cultivated on sugar cane crop residues for 30 days at 26°C. Biochemical changes affected the substrate as a result of fungal growth, in terms of nitrogen, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents. All strains showed a strong ligninolytic activity together with variable cellulolytic and xylanolytic action.Pleurotus sajor-caju attacked lignin and cellulose at the same rate, showing a degradation of 47% and 55%, respectively. A better balance was shown by theP. ostreatus-P. pulmonarius hybrid, which exhibited the poorest cellulolytic action (39%) and the highest ligninolytic activity (67%). The average composition of mushroom fruit bodies, in terms of nitrogen, carbohydrates, fats and amino acid profiles, was determined. Crude protein and total carbohydrate varied from 23% to 33% and 36% to 68% of dry matter, respectively. Fat ranged from 3.3% to 4.7% and amino acid content from 12.2% to 22.2%. Slight evidence for a nitrogen fixing capability was encountered in the substrate to fruit body balance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biotechnology Division, the Cuban Institute for Research on Sugar Cane Byproducts, Via Blanca 804, P.O. Box 4026, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Betancourt
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Otero