The effect of cow’s milk on biomass growth in Schizophyllum commune.

Abstract

Fungi have long been used in a wide variety of industries. In recent years, there has been renewed interest as the demand for bio-based materials increases. Here, cow’s milk was used as a growth medium for model species Schizophyllum commune in liquid shaking cultures. The addition of cow’s milk showed a 3.0- to 3.4-fold increase compared to conventional growth medium. Harvested cultures were analysed using a combination of FTIR spectrometry, Bradford protein assays, SDS-PAGE and TLC to assess the mechanisms underlying the increased production of biomass. Results show S. commune is able to utilise most carbohydrates, proteins and part of the lipids present in milk.