DefinePK

Abstract

Abstract | In Mushroom cultivation growing substrate is a critical determinant of biomass accumulation and secondary metabolites production. In this study, three Strains of Oyster Mushroom namely (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus pulmunarius, and Pleurotus ostreatus) were cultivated on wheat straw and saw dust to find out best strain and growing substrate. The results revealed that fastest colonization of mycelia (48.88 days), early pinhead initiation (17.50 days), maximum number of pinheads (7.53 pinheads), minimum days to first picking (20.00 days), larger diameter of pileus (87.44 mm), higher moisture content (87.16%), better total flavonoid content (8.26 mg g-1 DW) and more radical scavenging activity (76.55%) were recorded in Mushroom harvested from wheat straw substrate, whereas more dry matter content (19.19 %) and total phenolic contents (34.69 mg g-1 DW) were recorded in Mushroom harvested from saw dust. Among the three tested strains, minimum days (48.88) to complete colonization, more number of pinheads bag-1 (7.78 pinheads), higher fresh weight (130.00g bag-1), larger diameter of pileus (88.50 mm), maximum moisture content (90 %) were recorded in Pleurotus ostreatus, whereas minimum days to pinhead initiation (19.83 days), days to first picking (22.16 days), more dry matter content (19.23%), best total phenolic content (34.00 mg g-1 DW), total flavonoid content (8.00 mg g-1 DW) and maximum radical scavenging activity (70.33%) were recorded in Pleurotus eryngii. It was concluded that Pleurotus ostreatus Mushroom yielded more on wheat straw substrate, while Pleurotus eryngii Mushroom contained better nutritional qualities on wheat straw substrate.