Impact of Ganoderma lucidum fermentation and micro-pressure pulping on the structure, metabolism, and bioactivity of sugarcane bagasse.

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Citation abstract

Sugarcane bagasse (SB) is a typical lignocellulosic agricultural by-product with limited nutritional utilization due to its compact structure. This study investigated the effects of Ganoderma lucidum fermentation (GF) and micro-pressure pulping (MP) on the structural characteristics, metabolic profiles, and bioactivity of SB. The results showed that GF enhanced cellulase-related activity and promoted the partial degradation of lignocellulosic components, while MP further facilitated cell wall disruption and the release of intracellular nutrients. The GF-MP treatment redirected carbon flux through the pentose phosphate pathway, while aromatic amino acid metabolism contributed to the formation of polyphenol biosynthetic precursor networks, thereby promoting the enrichment of functional metabolites via the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Therefore, DPPH and ABTS increased by 163.3% and 210.9% respectively, and improved its hypolipidemic potential. Moreover, epigallocatechin and taurine showed strong binding affinities with AKT1 and Keap1, supporting their antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects. These findings provide new insights into the structural modification and functional enhancement of SB and offer a theoretical basis for its high-value utilization as a functional food ingredient.