Abstract

PILOT SCALE CULTIVATION OF PLEUROTUS FLORIDA BY UTILIZING REEDS AS THE SUBSTRATE AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF ITS HARVESTED FRUIT BODIES

Velusamy Karuppuraj, Subramanian Chandra Sekarenthiran, Karuppan Perumal*

Abstract

The present study focused on pilot scale cultivation of Pleurotus florida throughout the year (12 months) by utilizing reeds as the substrate. The efficacy of reeds as the alternate substrate and recorded the maximum bioefficiency 121.05% at the month of October. Totally 91.35kg of fresh fruit bodies were harvested from 95 kg of dry substrate with bioefficiency of 95.81%. The nutritional parameters of harvested fruit bodies were analysed viz., carbohydrate (46.28g/100g), protein (26.94g/100g), fat (0.37g/100g), crude fiber (28.46g/100g), ash (9.11g/100g) and folic acid (35.0μg/100g). The mineral contents parameters of harvested fruit bodies were analysed viz., calcium (129.24mg/100g), iodine (227μg/100g), iron (31.64mg/100g), magnesium (198.03mg/100g), manganese (1.64mg/100g), phosphorus (1.41g/100g), potassium (2.36g/100g) and zinc (16.18mg/100g). Among seven vitamins tested, vitamin B3 recorded maximum (16.28mg/100g). Heavy metal such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury were recorded at non detectable level whereas chromium (0.54mg/kg), copper (1.28mg/kg), lead (0.16mg/kg), selenium (4.63mg/kg). Hence the present shows a positive path that P. florida can be cultivated using alternative substrate and its efficacy was tested at pilot scale. As this mushroom known to several medicinal properties this study will be further focused towards pharmaceutical applications.

Keywords: Pleurotus florida, reeds, bioefficiency, nutritional parameters.