Evaluation of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) cultivation using different organic substrates

Mushrooms can be considered as functional foods that can provide health benefits beyond the conventional supplements they contain. In the current study, oyster mushroom was grown using various agricultural wastes, including wheat straw (WS), rice straw (RS), saw dust (SD) and water hyacinth (WH), either single or mixed with wheat straw (RS+WS, SD+WS and WH+WS) at a ratio of 1:1 (w/w), in order to determine their significance on growth, composition and consumer acceptance. The experiments were conducted during the winter season (September to December and January to April) 2017/2018 at Agricultural Research Center, El-Sabahia, Alexandria governorate, Egypt. The results revealed that, combinations of (RS+WS) and RS alone produced the highest mushroom yield from the harvesting periods (7600 g and 6650 g, respectively). For freeze-dried powder, both chemical and nutritional values were examined, comparing between treatments mentioned above. The product grown on a mixture of (RS+WS) had the highest yield score. It showed to be a rich source of protein, minerals and fibres. It could be approved that oyster mushroom developed on blend of RS and WS is nutritious as well as a rich source in natural-pharmaceutical-type products. In this study, an attempt to recognize the alternative or mixture of substrates from various agricultural wastes and to evaluate the yield and quality of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) were studied. Using the best mushroom extract as prebiotic in fermented dairy products is recommended as trend that could contribute to innovative functional foods.