Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium
The environmental impact and resource demands of traditional leather manufacturing have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. Fungal mycelium leather, recognised for its eco-friendly and renewable characteristics, has emerged as a promising option. This study established a cyclic freeze-th...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/4/326 |
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| author | Linxin Song Yuxin Liu Shijun Xiao Xiaohui Yuan Xuerong Han |
| author_facet | Linxin Song Yuxin Liu Shijun Xiao Xiaohui Yuan Xuerong Han |
| author_sort | Linxin Song |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The environmental impact and resource demands of traditional leather manufacturing have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. Fungal mycelium leather, recognised for its eco-friendly and renewable characteristics, has emerged as a promising option. This study established a cyclic freeze-thaw dehydration protocol for preparing mycelial leather using <i>Ganoderma</i> mycelium produced through liquid fermentation. By precisely controlling the fermentation parameters (pH 5.5, 150 rpm agitation, 28 °C), the liquid fermentation process ensures uniform mycelial growth, which is critical for subsequent structural enhancement during freeze-thaw cycles. After three freeze-thaw cycles were performed at −15 °C, uniformly distributed ice crystals facilitated effective water removal, achieving a minimum moisture content of 47.6%. The optimized freeze-thaw process produced membranes with a tensile strength of 6.22 MPa and elongation at break of 18.92%, demonstrating high mechanical performance. The freeze-thaw process was demonstrated to enhance structural integrity and mechanical properties while offering reduced energy consumption compared to conventional dehydration methods. This research provides a theoretical foundation and technical guidance for optimising fungal mycelium leather production and contributes to the development of sustainable bio-based materials for industrial applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-320dd59b0bb944e4b2815156cce82e1e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj-art-320dd59b0bb944e4b2815156cce82e1e2025-08-20T02:28:31ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2025-04-0111432610.3390/jof11040326Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal MyceliumLinxin Song0Yuxin Liu1Shijun Xiao2Xiaohui Yuan3Xuerong Han4International Cooperation Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushrooms, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaInternational Cooperation Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushrooms, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaInternational Cooperation Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushrooms, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaInternational Cooperation Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushrooms, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaInternational Cooperation Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushrooms, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaThe environmental impact and resource demands of traditional leather manufacturing have driven the search for sustainable alternatives. Fungal mycelium leather, recognised for its eco-friendly and renewable characteristics, has emerged as a promising option. This study established a cyclic freeze-thaw dehydration protocol for preparing mycelial leather using <i>Ganoderma</i> mycelium produced through liquid fermentation. By precisely controlling the fermentation parameters (pH 5.5, 150 rpm agitation, 28 °C), the liquid fermentation process ensures uniform mycelial growth, which is critical for subsequent structural enhancement during freeze-thaw cycles. After three freeze-thaw cycles were performed at −15 °C, uniformly distributed ice crystals facilitated effective water removal, achieving a minimum moisture content of 47.6%. The optimized freeze-thaw process produced membranes with a tensile strength of 6.22 MPa and elongation at break of 18.92%, demonstrating high mechanical performance. The freeze-thaw process was demonstrated to enhance structural integrity and mechanical properties while offering reduced energy consumption compared to conventional dehydration methods. This research provides a theoretical foundation and technical guidance for optimising fungal mycelium leather production and contributes to the development of sustainable bio-based materials for industrial applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/4/326freeze-thaw dehydrationice crystalsliquid fermentationfungal myceliummycelium leather |
| spellingShingle | Linxin Song Yuxin Liu Shijun Xiao Xiaohui Yuan Xuerong Han Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium Journal of Fungi freeze-thaw dehydration ice crystals liquid fermentation fungal mycelium mycelium leather |
| title | Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium |
| title_full | Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium |
| title_fullStr | Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium |
| title_short | Revolutionizing Eco-Friendly Leather Production: A Freeze-Thaw and Liquid Fermentation Approach with Fungal Mycelium |
| title_sort | revolutionizing eco friendly leather production a freeze thaw and liquid fermentation approach with fungal mycelium |
| topic | freeze-thaw dehydration ice crystals liquid fermentation fungal mycelium mycelium leather |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/4/326 |
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