Genus Pleurotus spp. contains many edible fungi with high nutritional value, medicinal value, and ease of growth. Cultivation of Pleurotus faces many problems including poor quality of mushroom spawn, low biological efficiency, and slow growth. In this study, we performed species identification using ITS marker and antioxidant capacity evaluation on 27 Pleurotus mycelia strains from MARDI's mushroom bank. Furthermore, important characteristics such as biological efficiency, complete growth, and antioxidant capacity were evaluated for 10 selected fruiting bodies of Pleurotus pulmonarius.Strain MP34 was the most suitable strain for commercial production, whereas mycelial strain MP42, MP52, and MP28 were suitable for the extraction of biologically active compounds. Our findings contributed and identified high-quality strains for the local Malaysian mushroom farmers. Future studies will focus on parameters such as substrate and supplements selection and bag preparation for the improvement of Pleurotus cultivation. Novelty impact statement:This study evaluated the potential of using ITS markers and antioxidant profiling to identify high-quality Pleurotus strain, which can be subsequently used for the quality control of Pleurotus mycelia culture in the mushroom bank and even by the farmer.

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