Extraction, chemical fingerprinting, and dyeing-process evaluation of fungal pigments from Phaeolus schweinitzii

Abstract

Colors have capacity to elicit human emotions in philosophy, arts, science, and many industrial areas. There is a lot of interest in natural color substitutes due to rising concerns about the detrimental effects of synthetic colorants on consumers and the environment. Although, plants serve as major non-viable sources of natural pigments with several limitations. In contrast, fungi thrive in diverse environments also exhibit adaptive metabolisms and catalytic pathways, make them valuable for natural pigment production. Furthermore, there is a growing demand for more sustainable and cost-effective extraction methods. Therefore, under suitable condition, extraction technique was carried out. In this study, Phaeolus schweinitzii was identified using morphological and ITS-based molecular approaches and investigated as a source of yellow, red, and reddish-brown fungal pigments. The effects of pH, agitation speed, sodium sulfate concentration, temperature, and dyeing time on pigment uptake were evaluated sequentially using a one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) experimental approach. The highest observed responses within the investigated ranges were generally associated with mildly acidic conditions, moderate-to-high agitation, low sodium sulfate concentrations, elevated temperatures, and intermediate dyeing times. However, because the variables were not studied simultaneously in a factorial design, these conditions are interpreted as preliminary operating ranges rather than a global multivariable optimum. Interactions among the process variables could not be estimated from the present design.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientific Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗