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The potential for using agricultural and industrial by-products as substrate for the production of the edible mushroom, Auricularia polytricha, was evaluated using several formulations of selected palm oil wastes mixed with sawdust and further supplemented with selected nitrogen sources. The best substrate formulations were sawdust (SD) mixed with oil palm frond (OPF; 90:10) added with 15% spent grain (SG) and sawdust mixed with empty fruit bunch (EFB; 50:50) added with 10% spent grain (SG) with mycelia growth rate of 8 mm/day and 7 mm/day respectively. These two substrate formulations were then subjected to different moisture content levels (65%, 75% and 85%). Highest total fresh sporophore yield at 0.43% was obtained on SD+OPF (90:10)+15% SG at 85% moisture content, followed closely by SD+EFB (50:50)+10% SG with 0.40% total yield, also at 85% moisture content. Each of the substrate formulations at 85% moisture content gave the highest biological efficiency (BE) at 288.9% and 260.7%, respectively. Both yield and biological efficiency of A. polytricha on these two formulations were almost three times higher when compared to sawdust substrate alone, thus proving the potential of these formulations to improve yield of this mushroom.

Cosmeceutical formulations containing naturally derived active ingredients are currently preferred by consumers worldwide. Mushrooms are one of the potential sources for cosmeceutical ingredients but relevant research is still lacking. In this study, hot- and cold-water extractions were performed on four locally-cultivated mushrooms—Pleurotus ostreatus, Ganoderma lucidum, Auricularia polytricha and Schizophyllum commune—with the aim to assess the cosmeceutical potential of these mushroom fruitbody extracts. Total phenolics, polysaccharide and glucan content were determined. Antioxidant property of the mushroom extracts was assessed by determining the DPPH radical scavenging, ferric-reducing (FRAP) and superoxide anion (SOA) scavenging activity. Anti-hyaluronidase activity was used as an indicator for the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory property, while anti-tyrosinase activity was evaluated to assess the anti-pigmentation or whitening property of these extracts. Our results showed that total polysaccharide content of P. ostreatus extracts was the highest (235.8–253.6 mg GE/g extract), while extracts from G. lucidum contained the lowest glucan (10.12–10.67%). Cold-water extract from S. commune exhibited substantial tyrosinase inhibition activity (98.15%) and SOA scavenging activity (94.82%). The greatest hyaluronidase activity was exhibited by G. lucidum hot-water extract, with the value of 72.78%. The findings from the correlation analyses suggest that the cosmeceutical properties of these mushrooms can be attributed mainly to the combination of different types of compound such as polysaccharides and phenolics. Overall, cold-water extract of S. commune and hot-water extract of G. lucidum showed the best results and may be further investigated.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is an alternative low cost useful process that has many important applications in the field of biotechnology.  In this study, SSF has been employed as a process for the production of value-added agricultural by-product using coconut testa (CT), rice bran (RB) and the combination of both substrates (CT-RB). The effect of SSF by Monascus purpureus on total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anti-elastase of the substrates were studied and compared with its non-fermented counterparts.  The results showed that the SSF has improved the TPC up to three-fold higher in the studied substrates.  Antioxidant potential evaluated using FRAP analysis also exhibited an enhancement in fermented substrates with the values ranging from 23.70 to 63.15 mg AAE/g sample.  On the other hand, the radical scavenging activity evaluated using DPPH assay showed a different trend in comparison to the TPC and FRAP analyses.  In another two analyses, tyrosinase and elastase inhibition activities were also enhanced in most substrates upon the fermentation. The changes in free phenolic acids content (p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic, sinapic, vanillic, protocatechuic, gallic and 4-hydroxybenzoic and syringic acid) of the substrates after fungal fermentation was also examined through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. In summary, SSF offers a tool to further increase the bioactive potential of the studied substrate.