AgroWasteForNutritiousMushrooms

In the proposed project, three research institutions — the Agricultural University of Athens, Harokopio University, and the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) — will collaborate with Dirfys Mushrooms, the largest mushroom production and trading company in Greece, to develop and produce a multifunctional functional food in the form of a “mushroom snack.”

The innovative features of this product include its appeal and convenience for consumption across all age groups, while providing a significant proportion of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D, as well as high levels of antioxidants, β-glucans, and essential amino acids. Selected Pleurotus strains and substrates will be used under commercial cultivation conditions to produce mushrooms with the desired characteristics. After harvesting, the mushrooms will be exposed to UV radiation, dried, and mixed with natural seasonings to create the final mushroom snack product.

A detailed chemical and organoleptic evaluation of the product will follow, along with a clinical study involving 70 overweight participants. The study aims to assess the product’s beneficial effects on cardiometabolic markers (inflammation and oxidative stress indicators) and its ability to increase serum vitamin D levels. Furthermore, the project will identify secondary metabolites, map metabolic changes in volunteers after product consumption, and analyze the metabolic pathways linked to the clinical intervention.

Ultimately, the project will deliver a scientifically validated multifunctional functional food of high nutritional value, combining innovation, health benefits, and commercial potential.