Lignin degradation and in vitro digestibility of wheat straw treated with Brazilian tropical species of white rot fungi

Brazilian tropical fungi were screened for lignin degradation, and the ability to increase or decrease the in vitro digestibility and pH of wheat straw used as a substrate (at 25 and 30 degrees C after 30 and 60 d of incubation). Out of 72 species and strains of Agrocybe, Antrodiella, Auricularia, Coriolopsis, Cymatoderma, Fomitopsis, Ganoderma, Gerronema, Gloeophyllum, Gymnopilus, Irpex, Lentinus, Melanoporia, Oligoporus, Oudemansiella, Panaeolus, Peniophora, Phellinus, Pleurotus, Psathyrella, Psilocybe, Pycnoporus, Rigidoporus, Schizophyllum, Trametes, Trichaptum and Tyromyces, 22 decomposed more than 50 % of lignin and 10 increased the in vitro substrate digestibility by more than 30 U. The highest degradation of lignin was observed with Lentinus crinitus (80 %, 60 d) and the highest increase in in vine substrate digestibility was caused by Peniophora utriculosa (36 U, 30 d).