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Fermentation
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Fungal Biotechnology: Exploring the Potential of Solid State Fermentation for...
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Fungal Biotechnology: Exploring the Potential of Solid State Fermentation for Sustainable Production

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 6313

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lilia Arely Prado-Barragán

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Solid Medium Fermentation Pilot Plant, Biotechnology Department DCBS, UAM-I, San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, Col. Vicentina, Mexico City 09340, Mexico
Interests: agricultural and food industry by-products valorization; added value biomolecules; fungy enzyme production; circular economy
Dr. Ricardo Gómez-García

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Interests: agro-food waste upcycling; biorefinery approach; fungal enzyme production; green precipitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world is facing several issues such as population growth, climate change, and environmental pollution, which have led to the development of sustainable technologies that efficiently use resources to create a circular supply chain. Fungal Solid State Fermentation (SSF) processes are among these technologies, and they have gained significant relevance due to their wide range of waste resource exploitation, from agri- and forestry- to marine- biomasses, highlighting a vast and diversified product obtainment that can be used for different purposes. SSF is an attractive process for addressing the challenges of resource scarcity and environmental sustainability. It offers a range of benefits, including reduced water usage, low-cost substrate utilization, high energy efficiency, enhanced productivity, bioprocess optimization, scale-up potential, and integration with other processes.

SSF is a suitable technology for producing profitable products tailored to various industries such as food (acidifiers, preservatives, pigments, organic acids, mycoprotein, etc.), pharmaceuticals (antioxidants, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, anticancer, etc.), cosmetics (pigments, hyaluronic acid, etc.), textile (pigments, bleaches, dyes), environmental (bioremediation agents, biocontrol), fuel (bioethanol, biogas), and crop (biostimulants) industries as well as biomaterial development (myco-foam, lather, packaging, and bioplastics), and also for achieving a bio-based-platform for the production of diverse high-value organic compounds (lactic and citric acids).

This Special Issue is intended to showcase the latest research and development in the field, uncover new opportunities, and further enhance the potential of SSF. SSF has the potential to serve as an innovative and multi-purpose approach for waste resource management, pollution mitigation, and the production of high-value-added products. This can help us move closer to achieving a circular economy model.

Dr. Lilia Arely Prado-Barragán
Dr. Ricardo Gómez-García
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fungal solid state fermentation
  • circular economy
  • by-products
  • valorization
  • waste bioconversion
  • high-value organic compounds
  • biofunctional molecules
  • biostimulants
  • biopesticides
  • biosurfactants
  • biomaterials
  • biotextiles
  • biorefinery
  • biodyes
  • biopigments

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 840 KiB  
Article
Development of a Bioprocess to Improve the Phenolic Compounds Content and Antioxidant Capacity in Blue Corn Grains
by Ulises Ramírez-Esparza, Andrés Javier Ordoñez-Cano, Emilio Ochoa-Reyes, Fernando Méndez-González, Ramiro Baeza-Jimenez, Mónica Alvarado-González, Juan A. Ascacio-Valdes and José Juan Buenrostro-Figueroa
Fermentation 2025, 11(3), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11030122 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1686
Abstract
Corn, a widely cultivated cereal, is a rich source of several antioxidant compounds, including phenolic compounds. Some of these compounds are bound within the components of the corn cell wall, requiring specific treatments to release them. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) using Rhizopus oryzae enhanced [...] Read more.
Corn, a widely cultivated cereal, is a rich source of several antioxidant compounds, including phenolic compounds. Some of these compounds are bound within the components of the corn cell wall, requiring specific treatments to release them. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) using Rhizopus oryzae enhanced the antioxidant capacity and phenolic content in legumes and grains. However, there is limited information regarding its application in blue corn. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of R. oryzae growth on the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of blue corn kernels. The results demonstrated that R. oryzae used blue corn kernels for growth, which led to an increase in free phenolic compounds, reaching their highest concentration at 60 h of culture. Compared to the unfermented control (0 h), SSF increased by up to 161% in total phenolic content and a 94% increase in antioxidant capacity. The main phenolic compounds identified in the blue corn extracts at 60 h using RP-HPLC-ESI-MS included caffeic acid 4-O-glucoside, rosmanol, p-coumaroyl tartaric acid glucosidic ester, 5-heptadecylresorcinol, and caffeoyl tartaric acid. The SSF represents an eco-friendly method for enhancing the antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds of blue corn grain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Biotechnology: Exploring the Potential of Solid State Fermentation for Sustainable Production)
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17 pages, 1838 KiB  
Article
Harnessing Packed-Bed Bioreactors’ Potential in Solid-State Fermentation: The Case of Beauveria bassiana Conidia Production
by Arnau Sala, Adriana Artola, Raquel Barrena and Antoni Sánchez
Fermentation 2024, 10(9), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10090481 - 16 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1990
Abstract
The packed-bed bioreactor is among the most promising reactor configurations for solid-state fermentation. However, the bed thickness poses several limitations involving mass and energy transfer, heat generation, and the homogeneity of the material, hampering its development at the industrial scale. Fungi are among [...] Read more.
The packed-bed bioreactor is among the most promising reactor configurations for solid-state fermentation. However, the bed thickness poses several limitations involving mass and energy transfer, heat generation, and the homogeneity of the material, hampering its development at the industrial scale. Fungi are among the most promising microorganisms used in this configuration; however, only polypropylene bags and trays are used at the industrial scale. In this work, Beauveria bassiana is used to demonstrate the potential of solid-state fermentation for conidia production. A scale-up from 0.5 L to 22 L is presented, starting with substrate selection, optimization via design of experiments and 22 L batches. The optimized parameters were 70% moisture, 6.5 × 106 conidia mL−1 inoculum concentration, 20 mL min−1 airflow, 25 °C; temperature, and 40 C/N ratio. After optimization, beer draff was chosen as the preferred substrate for scale-up. Air-filled porosity was found to be the key parameter in fungal solid-state fermentation scale-up, establishing values of around 80% as necessary for fungal conidia production when working in a 22 L packed-bed bioreactor. When compared with the tray bioreactor, the packed bed obtained higher conidia production due to its better use of the total reactor volume. Our study harnesses the potential of the packed-bed bioreactor and serves as a base for further scale-up to industrial scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Biotechnology: Exploring the Potential of Solid State Fermentation for Sustainable Production)
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Review

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16 pages, 6118 KiB  
Review
Effect of Solid-State Fermented Cottonseed Meal on Broiler Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Blood Biochemical Parameters: A Systematic Review
by Selim Esen
Fermentation 2024, 10(11), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10110562 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1434
Abstract
Cottonseed meal (CSM) has emerged as an alternative source of protein-based poultry feed because of the increasing cost and scarcity of soybean meal. However, it contains toxic gossypol, which restricts its use. This systematic review examines solid-state fermented CSM’s impact on broiler chickens, [...] Read more.
Cottonseed meal (CSM) has emerged as an alternative source of protein-based poultry feed because of the increasing cost and scarcity of soybean meal. However, it contains toxic gossypol, which restricts its use. This systematic review examines solid-state fermented CSM’s impact on broiler chickens, focusing on growth performance, carcass traits, and blood parameters. To identify relevant papers, a comprehensive search of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed was conducted. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, peer-reviewed experimental articles published in English up to September 2023 were screened. A total of 60 articles were evaluated over four stages, resulting in 9 articles that met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The reduction in gossypol content was effective with bacteria like Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus niger. The content of free gossypol in CSM is significantly reduced after solid-state fermentation using various microorganisms. Fermented CSM increased the body weight gain and feed intake of broilers, while maintaining feed efficiency, and improved growth performance. Fermented CSM included in diets positively affected carcass traits, including increased carcass weight and breast muscle development. It also resulted in decreased fat content and enhanced immune organ development. An improvement in total protein, albumin, and immunoglobulin levels was observed in blood biochemical parameters, suggesting an improved humoral immune response. Depending on the microorganisms used and their concentrations, fermented CSM also had positive effects on cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels. Solid-state fermented CSM can be an effective and sustainable source of protein for broiler chickens. A future research focus should be on long-term effects, underlying mechanisms, economic feasibility, and scalability. In addition, it could be used in novel feed formulations and other livestock species to further enhance animal agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Biotechnology: Exploring the Potential of Solid State Fermentation for Sustainable Production)
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