Biodegradation of Different Genotypes of Miscanthus by Wood Rot Fungi

Miscanthus, which is comprised of several different genotypes, is an important high-biomass crop with applications in the biofuel industry and in the formation of biocomposite materials. The overall composition of Miscanthus can be altered via degradation with wood rot fungi. The starting composition revealed that the cellulose content of Miscanthus x giganteus was higher than that in Miscanthus sacchariflorus and that the lignin contents were similar in both genotypes. Of the wood rot fungi, only Lentinus edodes appeared to have completely colonized M. sacchariflorus and showed significant degradation. In contrast, all of the brown rot fungi showed partial colonization of both Miscanthus genotypes and had little effect on the fibrous composition. Cellulose degradation by some white rot fungi increased with cellulose content whereas cellulose degradation by other fungi was independent of cellulose content. All of the white rot fungi showed similar rates of lignin degradation, except for Pleurotus ostreatus, which was higher on M. sacchariflorus. The effect of the moisture contents of Miscanthus on cellulose and lignin decomposition by Phlebiopsis gigantea SPLog6 and Coniophora puteana 11E was also investigated. These results revealed subtle differences in the growth of white rot fungi on different Miscanthus genotypes.