Valorization of Hazelnut Shells as Growing Substrate for Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms

Recently, the cultivation of hazel is undergoing a large expansion. Italy world’s second largest producer hazelnuts, with production around 98,530 tons in 2019. The processing hazelnuts produces amounts waste, especially woody pericarps, due to cracking process, generally used for domestic heating, causing air pollution. high lignin content present pericarps makes them suitable substrate edible and medicinal mushrooms. To this aim, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus cornucopiae were grown cultivated on different hazelnut-shell-based substrates: Hazelnut Shell (HS), Wheat Straw (HS-WS), mixed Beech Chips (WS-BC) as control. In vitro mycelial grow rate, degradation capacity lignocellulosic fraction, biological efficiency, qualitative differences between mushrooms growing substrates by using Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy investigated. Our results suggested ability G. L. P. decay fraction HS. Cultivation trials showed similar efficiency but Fruiting Body Production (FBP) presence HS respect ATR-FTIR analysis provided chemical insight examined fruiting bodies, found among studied. These provide attractive perspectives both more sustainable management improvement mushroom efficiency.