LAUSR

Abstract Agro-industrial wastes can be used as a potential source in cost-effective functional food formulations, provided these are valorised nutritionally and nutraceutically. A novel submerged fermentation technique using Calocybe indica for enhancing the nutraceutical attributes of banana peel powder (BPP) and de-oiled groundnut cake powder (DGCP) in combination were tested. An optimized aqueous media (through RSM) containing 6.6 g/l BPP and 7.5 g/l DGCP produced 5.3 g/l dry mycelial biomass of C. indica in 10 days. The fermented waste (13.73 g/l, dry wt.) was found to improve protein (9.37–17.06%), fibre (7.47–22.12%), total glucan content (11.16–27.62%, of which 24.67% β-glucan content), minerals (Ca 3.84–8.65 mg/g, Fe 1.71–4.09 mg/g, Zn 0.49–0.94 mg/g, Mn 0.41 to 3.11 and Mg 17.95 to 21.45), total phenols (125.67–251.87 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (40.64–98.37 mg QE/g and scavenging activity (IC50, 94.86 to 28.43 mg/mL) with reduced tannin (56.87–9.98 mg CH/g). The ergosterol increased to 0.74% along with Ergosta-5,7,9 (11),22-tetraen-3-ol, (3. β.,22 E) by 1.87%. The study indicated that banana peel and de-oiled groundnut cake in combination with C. indica cultured on it could be used as a potential supplement for functional food and pharma industries.