A fermentative approach to ameliorating solid waste challenges within food and hospitality industry

• Growth proximity of microbes in fungal mixed culture influenced substrate and product chemistry.
• Varied concentration of individual microbe in mixed culture influenced product synthesis.
• New composite substrate enhanced product through improved substrate metabolism.
• Substrate metabolism by fungi and product formation involves chemical bond cleavage.

Microbial conversion of organic residues into resource often involves growth and development via modification of complex sugars inherent in the residues. Solid state bioconversion (SSB) process involving mixed culture of white rot fungi was conducted. Product synthesis by the microorganisms and bio-degradation of fruit peels' macromolecules were analyzed chemically and structurally. Protein enrichment was higher when fungal strains were mixed together (141.18 mg g−1) compared with when grown at 4 cm apart (115.62 mg g−1). Different mixtures of fruit peels raised fermentable sugar composition to 500.99 mg g−1 and protein enrichment increased to 160.68 mg g−1 while complex carbon was redistributed. Cellulase activity of 1.33 ± 0.04 units ml−1 and α-amylase activity of 112.46 ± 0.28 units ml−1 were recorded. Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) analysis revealed immense modification of complex sugars (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and secretion of simple sugars by filamentous fungi.

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