## 3 Results  
In the present study, we exploited the feasibility of two substrates, both containing CSC as the predominant constituent, for the application of the SSF process. In specific, the investigated two substrates contained either 100% \(w/w\) of CSC or a CSC mixture with 20% \(w/w\) LCP. According to the results obtained, the SSF procedure was not successful when performed using 100% \(w/w\) CSC as substrate. This can be rationalized considering that the employed microorganism (_P. ostreatus_) requires an energy source in order to perform the biological processes. Therefore, for the successful implementation of SSF, it is essential to include a proportion of 20% \(w/w\) of LCP, which acts as a natural external nitrogen source, facilitating the growth of _P. ostreatus_ and initiating the SSF process. Figure 1 is a representative image of the substrates on which the SSF process was applied. More specifically, the substrate on the left side is composed of 100% \(w/w\) of CSC, while the substrate on the right is a CSC mixture with 20% \(w/w\) LCP. According to Figure 1, SSF was not successfully applied to the 100% \(w/w\) CSC substrate, whereas the latter procedure was successfully performed in the mixture by the addition of LCP. Table 1 contains the outcome of the following physicochemical parameter assessments: moisture, total and reducing soluble sugars, ash, proteins, and 1,3-1, \(\beta\)-glucan's concentration on the first (Day 0) and last day (Day 11) of fermentation. Results indicated that moisture recorded a statistically significant increase (\(p<0.05\)) by 15.83% during the SSF process, while the number of soluble sugars ranged from 2.53% to 4.39% between Days 0 and 11, presenting a statistically significant increment (\(p<0.05\)) at Day 11. A similar pattern was observed for the reducing soluble sugars since they underwent a statistically significant increase (\(p<0.05\)) by 56.67% at the end of the SSF process. Ash concentration was increased at Day 11, affording a statistically significant (\(p<0.05\)) approximately two-fold increment. Proteins displayed similar behavior since their content ranged from 17.67% to 23.84% on Days 0 and 11, recording a statistically significant increase (\(p<0.05\)) of 34.91%. Finally, the concentration of 1,3-1,6 \(\beta\)-glucan's underwent a statistically significant increment (\(p<0.05\)), which exceeded 5-fold. Figure 1: Representative figure of the examined substrates at the end of the process. Table 2 demonstrates SSF's impact on fibers' profile at the examined substrate. In particular, crude fiber substances were elevated by 7.57% at Day 11, whereas cellulose content remained almost intact presenting a slight increase by 4.10% at the end of the process. On the other hand, lignin content underwent a statistically significant reduction (\(p<0.05\)) by 26.71% at the end of the SSF procedure. Table 3 presents the impact of the SSF process initiated by _P. ostreatus_ on gossypol's profile between Days 0 and 11. In specific, the amount of TG displayed a statistically significant reduction by approximately 9-fold at Day 11, whereas FG's content was slightly decreased at the end of the process, ranging from 2.73 to 2.39 ppm. Figure 2 displays the concentration of TG on Days 0 and 11 of the SSF process. In the abovementioned chromatogram, the blue peak with a Retention Time of 10.102 represents the concentration of TG at the beginning of the procedure (Day 0). The orange peak with a Retention Time of 10.125 depicts the concentration of TG at the end of the SSF process (Day 11). It is evident that the concentration of TG in the fermentation outcome has been reduced, highlighting the effectiveness of the SSF process as a potent means for the degradation of gossypol.