Effects of gums on 3D printing performance of Pleurotus eryngii powder

Pleurotus eryngii has rich nutritional activity, but its application in 3D printing was limited due to the high content of dietary fiber. To solve this problem, we added six gums (gellan gum, pectin, guar gum, locust bean gum, sodium alginate, methylcellulose) to improve the 3D printing performance of Pleurotus eryngii. In this work, mixtures of freeze-dried Pleurotus eryngii powder and gums were used as inks. The rheology, texture, microstructure, and 3D printing properties were tested. Compared with other gums, the appearance and printing accuracy of the printed samples using locust bean gum and Pleurotus eryngii were the superior, with the best 3D printing performance. In the texture and rheological tests, locust bean gum increased the hardness, viscosity, and storage modulus of Pleurotus eryngii ink by 42.7%, 33.1%, and 105.2%, respectively. In the scanning electron microscope test, locust bean gum could make the ink present a dense and continuously uniform microstructure. This work provided a theoretical basis for the application of edible fungi in 3D printing.