Preparation of Mycelium Pulp from Mushroom Fruiting Bodies

Abstract

We developed a new method to extract mycelial fibers, without destroying their structure, from the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. After chemical treatment with NaOH and H2O2, the fruiting bodies were decolorized via an environmentally friendly method using sunlight irradiation. The visible light reflectance of decolorized fruiting bodies was more than 80%. Ultrasonic treatment was used to defibrillate the fruiting bodies at the mycelial level, and a white micrometer-sized dispersion of mycelial fibers (mycelium pulp) was obtained. The mycelium retained its structure, demonstrating a thick linear mycelium pulp (width: 8.0 ± 3.4 μm) in Flammulina velutipes and a thin branched mycelium pulp (width: 2.3 ± 0.6 μm) in Ganoderma lucidum. The mycelium pulp is a completely new material that maintains its mycelial structure, unlike previously reported materials derived from fruiting bodies. The mycelium pulp demonstrates excellent deformability and can be used to create one- to three-dimensional deformable products, showing a wide range of material applicability.