Bioconversion of bamboo shoot shells through the cultivation of the edible mushrooms Volvariella volvacea.

Bamboo shoot shell (BSS), as agricultural waste, is mostly burned or discarded, causing serious environment pollution. In this study, the degradation and utilization of BSS by the edible fungus Volvariella Volvacea was investigated. The composition of V. volvacea fruit body was determined by HPLC-MS, GC-MS and ICP-OES. The activities of CMCase and xylanase were monitored by DNS (3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid) method. Laccase activity was assayed by the oxidation reaction of ABTS [2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)]. The degraded bamboo shoot shell powder was characterized by FTIR and SEM. The results showed that the mycelium of V. volvacea could degrade and utilize BSS for growth. The activities of carboxymethyl cellulase and laccase were increased during the cultivation. At the same time, the physical structure of the shell fiber becames porous and rough. Most of the products of decayed fibers contain alkanes, ethyl or methyl groups. Moreover, the biological efficiency (fruiting body yield) of V. volvacea cultivated on BSS was 1.52-fold higher than that of straw cultivation. The contents of total lipid, elaidic acid (C18:1n-9), total essential amino acids, total amino acids and iron in V. volvacea fruit bodies grown on BSS were 1.11, 1.66, 1.52, 1.60 and 1.30-fold higher than those of straw treatment, respectively. This study provides an effective method to solve the environmental pollution caused by BSS, and provides a new way for the potential utilization of BSS in edible fungi cultivation.