• bioenhancement
• biorefinery
• fermentazione
• funghi
• nutraceuticals
• protein quality

The focus of the research study has been to investigate the effect of
fermentation by Neurospora sitophila on the nutritional value of food
and agriculture industry residues, green press-cake and brewers spent
grains, with the scope of providing enriched raw materials for food and
feed industry. Optimal condition in terms of substrate moisture
content and ambient temperature were investigated by analysing growth
rate and enzymatic activity at different incubation temperature and
substrates moisture. In order to assess variation in protein quality, the
amino acid profile and in vitro protein digestibility before and after
3 days of fermentation were analysed and the protein digestibility-
corrected amino acid score scores were calculated. To assess nutraceutical value of the fermented biomass, total phenols and flavonoids assays were performed. Antioxidants proprieties of the phenolic extract were evaluated by means of 2,2’-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays.