Characterization and Domestication of Wild Culinary Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius from Assam, India

Abstract

Considering the increasing demand of wild edible mushrooms and to sustain regular supply throughout the year, the indigenous mushroom species consumed by the ethnic tribes of Assam was collected from their natural habitat during the month of May, 2019. Germplasm of the species, identified as Pleurotus pulmonarius was isolated and successfully domesticated using sawdust and paddy straw as substrates. Complete substrate colonization at 2% spawn rate was observed after 2-3 weeks of inoculation. Biological efficiency of 32.8 ± 1.39 to 69.2 ± 0.72was observed in domestication trials during the period of experimentation. Proximate analysis of the cultivated fruiting bodies revealed the presence of crude protein content 9.48g, crude fat 0.80g, carbohydrate 77.02g and crude fiber 34.30g/100g. No major difference in nutrient contents has been observed between cultivated and wild one. A year round cultivation trial was carried out to ensure regular source of nutrition and avenue for income generation. The successful domestication of this native species is a stepping-stone towards the cultivation of more wild edible species, consumed by the ethnic tribes of this region.

Nutraceutical Benefits of Cookies Produced from Wheat and Mushroom Flour: A Review

“…Mushrooms have been used for highly valued food and pharmaceutical purposes because of their role as a tonic and their benefits to health (Goswami et al, 2020). Mushrooms are nutritionally important, as they are rich in protein, fibres, and minerals, while poor in fats (Gupta et al, 2019).…”