Neurospora intermedia cultivation on vinasse: Integrated production of protein-rich biomass, carotenoids, B-vitamins, and COD reduction with minerals bioaccumulation
2026 (English)In: Future Foods, ISSN 2666-8335, Vol. 14, article id 101112Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Vinasse, a high-strength byproduct of the sugar–ethanol industry, was simultaneously valorized and remediated using the edible filamentous fungus Neurospora intermedia. Optimal cultivation conditions (6°Brix vinasse, pH 7, 0.5 g/L KNO₃, 1% inoculum, and 1 g/L diammonium citrate) produced 14.9 g/L fungal biomass enriched with carotenoids (76.38 μg/g) and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. The process reduced vinasse COD by 63% and enabled substantial minerals bioaccumulation, removing up to ∼65% of Mn and Ca. FTIR analysis confirmed melanoidin adsorption, while SEM revealed thinner, highly branched hyphae under vinasse stress. Post-treatment with activated carbon or Purolite A502PS resin achieved >94% decolorization. This integrated system converts a problematic effluent into nutrient-rich biomass while improving wastewater quality, offering a practical circular-bioeconomy strategy for the sugar–ethanol sector.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2026. Vol. 14, article id 101112
Keywords [en]
Sustainable development, Wastewater, Valorization, Edible filamentous fungi, Bioactive compound, Food, Feed
National Category
Other Industrial Biotechnology
Research subject
Resource Recovery
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-35883DOI: 10.1016/j.fufo.2026.101112Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105042998327OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hb-35883DiVA, id: diva2:2083986
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2023-02018
Note
Additional funding: Iran National Science Foundation (INSF), project number 4027892
2026-07-032026-07-032026-07-07Bibliographically approved