The goals of the present study were to characterize the profile of ligninolytic enzymes in five Pleurotus species and determine their ability to delignify eight common agro-forestry residues.Generally, corn stalks were the optimal inducer of Mn-dependent peroxidase activity, but the M Accesories activity peak was noted after wheat straw fermentation by P.eryngii (3066.92 U/L).
P.florida was the best producer of versatile peroxidase, especially on wheat straw (3028.41 U/L), while apple sawdust induced the highest level of laccase activity in P.ostreatus (49601.
82 U/L).Efficiency of the studied enzymes was expressed in terms of substrate dry matter loss, which was more substrate-than species-dependent.Reduction of substrate dry mass ranged between 24.83% in wheat straw and 8.
83% in plum sawdust as a result of fermentation with P.florida and P.pulmonarius, respectively.The extent of delignification of the studied substrates was different, ranging from 51.
97% after wheat straw fermentation by P.pulmonarius to 4.18% in grapevine Video Interface sawdust fermented by P.ostreatus.
P.pulmonarius was also characterized by the highest cellulose enrichment (6.54) and P.ostreatus by very low one (1.
55).The tested biomass is a highly abundant but underutilized source of numerous value-added products, and a cocktail of ligninolytic enzymes of Pleurotus spp.could be useful for its environmentally and economically friendly transformation.