ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Food Chemistry
Effects of Light Qualities on the Growth Phenotype and Internal Components of Schizophyllum commune
Provisionally accepted
- 云南农业大学, 昆明市, China
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Light is one of the key factors influencing the growth and development of edible fungi. To investigate the effects of different light qualities on the growth, development, and internal composition of Schizophyllum commune, the fungus was cultivated in a spectral chamber. Eight experimental treatments were established, including darkness (CK, control), pink light (P), green light (G), red light (R), natural light (N), yellow light (Y), white light (W), and blue light (B). We found that light qualities promoted specific developmental traits. Compared with the control, red light was the most effective in accelerating the early fruiting body formation, whereas natural light optimized the morphological expansion in the late stage. Green light uniquely increased the number of leaf - like structures. Critically, light quality significantly modulated the nutritional and sensory properties. Natural and blue light enhanced color saturation and visual appeal. Natural and red light improved the flavor profile by increasing the proportion of umami and sweet amino acids. Furthermore, pink light was identified as the optimal light quality for simultaneously boosting the content of polysaccharides, proteins, and cellulose. This study provides a foundational guideline for applying specific light qualities to enhance yield, morphology, or the production of targeted bioactive compounds in the commercial cultivation of this fungus.
Keywords: functional components, Growth phenotype, Light qualities, Nutritional components, Schizophyllum commune
Received: 28 Oct 2025; Accepted: 02 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 赵, Zhang, Bai, 王, Jin, Zhang, Yang and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Bing Zhou
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