The growing market need for sustainable cruelty-free materials enables research into fungal-based leather production as an animal leather substitution. The researchers studied fungal cultivation of Aspergillus niger on bread waste using solid-state fermentation to extract vegetable tannins from sawdust which became the base material for fungal leather production. Mycelial mats reaching high density were collected for tannin processing that improved their mechanical stability. The presence of tannins was confirmed through both qualitative and quantitative analysis while FTIR and SEM helped identify functional group behavior and appearance characteristics. The analysis using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) showed better thermal stability after the treatment step. The experiments also measured tensile strength and density alongside elongation at break. Researchers demonstrate through this study that food waste can be effectively used for developing environmentally sustainable fungal leather while also helping waste valorization and preserving the environment.
