Fungi in the Circular Economy

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The circular economy is a model of production and consumption that aims to minimize waste and maximize resource utilization. Mushroom production offers a sustainable solution to such problems by converting agricultural waste into highly nutritious food, while also mitigating environmental pollution. In the context of medicinal and edible mushroom cultivation, it is rare to find companies that adopt the principles of the circular economy, which are based on sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Future perspectives within the framework of a green and circular economy highlight the potential of the biotransformation and fermentation of agricultural waste. For different marginal areas within this field, specific circular economy strategies are being developed, including the use of new biotechnologies. Mushroom producers tend to use energy-intensive industrial facilities with inputs from regions far removed from their production process. They typically produce significant amounts of waste, including spent substrates, which cause environmental contamination and must be disposed of. Therefore, a target for the future of this industry is to optimize the fermentation process’s chemo-physical and technical parameters to grow mushrooms using agroindustrial byproducts sourced from agrocompanies to produce food or medicine.

Prof. Giuseppe Venturella
Dr. Lillian Barros
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Applied Biosciences applbiosci	4.3	5.3	2022	25.3 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Applied Microbiology applmicrobiol	-	3.6	2021	16.4 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Journal of Fungi jof	4.3	8.7	2015	18.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

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21 pages, 3126 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Sandwich Mycelium-Based Composite Panels Fabricated with a Lightweight Core from Forest Waste Using Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus

by Melannie Mayorga-Jiménez and Roger Moya

J. Fungi 2026, 12(5), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12050330 - 2 May 2026

Viewed by 1801

Abstract

The present study aims to determine the properties of sandwich mycelium-based composite panels (sandwich-MBC-panel) fabricated with a lightweight core of mycelium-based composites (MBCs) of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus and veneers of Gmelina arborea and Vochysia guatemalensis wood. Physical and mechanical properties, acoustic [...] Read more.

The present study aims to determine the properties of sandwich mycelium-based composite panels (sandwich-MBC-panel) fabricated with a lightweight core of mycelium-based composites (MBCs) of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus and veneers of Gmelina arborea and Vochysia guatemalensis wood. Physical and mechanical properties, acoustic capacity, chemical composition (determined by FT-IR), thermal degradation, and inorganic components were evaluated. The results showed that the sandwich-MBC-panel presented a density of 0.27–0.40 g/cm³, an MC between 14.56 and 24.71%, and a water absorption between 43.64 and 61.32%. Regarding mechanical characteristics, the sandwich-MBC-panel with the highest MOR, MOE, and internal bond was that composed of G. lucidum and G. arborea. The treatment with the best tensile force value was the mixture of G. lucidum with O. pyramidale. The sandwich-MBC-panel constructed with balsawood showed the lowest noise reduction coefficient, while the panel composed of G. lucidum and P. ostreatus showed good substrate properties and appropriate carbon and nitrogen content. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed substrate degradation by fungal mycelium formation, and TGA curves showed that the MBC containing G. lucidum presented higher thermal degradation than the panel without G. lucidum, without fungal attack. The main results of this study showed that sandwich MBC panels, in which the MBC is used as a lightweight core and wood veneers are used on the faces, have the potential for use as acoustic panels and could represent a sustainable alternative to panels that are generally fabricated from synthetic materials and of low densities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Fungi in the Circular Economy)

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