COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN-BASED AND NON-NITROGEN-BASED SUBSTRATES ON THE PROXIMATE CONTENTS OF Pleurotus SPECIES
Main Article Content
Abstract
Pleurotus species are edible mushrooms valued for their nutritional and medicinal properties. This study investigated the comparative effects of nitrogen-based substrates and non-nitrogen-based substrates on the nutritional profile of Pleurotus spp. The substrates used include saw dust, dried banana leaves, rice bran and cowpea husk. Mushroom yield was determined by dividing the total weight of the fruiting bodies from all the flushes by the dry weight of the substrate. The fruiting yield and biological efficiency results showed significantly higher yields (35.6%) and bio-efficiencies (42.1%) in nitrogen-based substrates compared to non-nitrogen-based substrates. Cowpea husk produced the highest yield (195.9 ± 66.0g) and bio-efficiency (65.20 ± 25.3g). Proximate analysis revealed varying nutritional profiles across substrates, with cowpea husk exhibiting higher protein (18.20 ± 7.01%), ash (4.88 ± 2.36%), and crude fiber (5.16 ± 1.90%) content. Rice bran showed higher fat (2.98 ± 0.30%) and carbohydrate (6.290 ± 1.78%) content. Nitrogen-based substrates exhibited superior nutritional profiles than non-nitrogen-based substrates. These findings suggest that nitrogen-based substrates provide essential nutrients for optimal growth and nutritional enhancement of Pleurotus species. It also highlights the importance of substrate selection in optimizing nutritional quality and yield of Pleurotus spp. Nitrogen-based substrates, particularly cowpea husk, are recommended for commercial mushroom production due to their enhanced nutritional profiles and higher yields
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
AOAC (2005). Official methods of analysis (17th ed.). Association of Official Analytical Chemists.
Belewu, M.A. (2003). Nutritional qualities of corn cobs and waste paper incubated with edible mushrooms (Pleurotus sajor caju). Nigerian Journal of Animal Production, 30(1), 20-25.
Gupta, V.K., Sharma, S., Singh, R. and Kumar, A. (2020). Effect of substrate on growth, yield, and quality of oyster mushroom. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 57(4): 1420-1428. Pleurotus species. Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 7(3): 62-68.
Kaur, M., Singh, R., Kumar, A. and Sharma, S. (2019). Mineral composition of mushrooms cultivated on different substrates. Journal of Fungi, 5(2): 35. doi: 10.3390/jof5020035
Kumar, S., Gupta, V.K., Sharma, S. and Singh, R. (2019). Moisture content and its effect on mushroom growth. Journal of Mushroom Research, 18(1): 1-8.
Kumar, S., Gupta, V.K., Sharma, S. and Singh, R. (2017). Proximate composition of mushrooms cultivated on different substrates. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54(4): 1020-1028. doi: 10.1007/s13394-017-0211-5
Li, K., Qiao, K., Xiong, J., Guo, H. and Zhang, Y. (2023). Nutritional Values and Bio-Functional Properties of Fungal Proteins: Applications in Foods as a Sustainable Source. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 12(24), 4388. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12244388
Martín, C., Zervakis, G. I., Xiong, S., Koutrotsios, G., & Strætkvern, K. O. (2023). Spent substrate from mushroom cultivation: exploitation potential toward various applications and value-added products. Bioengineered, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/21655979.20 23.2252138ue-added products.
Mata, G., Hernandez, D.M. and Andreu, M. (2005). Changes in lignocellulolytic enzyme activities in six Pleurotus spp. strains cultivated on coffee pulp in confrontation with Trichoderma spp. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 21(2): 143-150. doi: 10.1007/s11274-004-3543-z
Obodai, M., Cleland-Okine, J. and Vowotor, K.A. (2003). Comparative study on the growth and yield of Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom on different lignocellulistic by-products. International Microbiology, 6(2): 146-149.
Oei, P. and Rombouts, J. (1994). Mushroom cultivation in practice (4th ed.). Agrodok-series. Stichting Agromisa.
Ogunrayi, O. A., Akinseye, F. M., Goldberg, V. and Bernhofer, C. (2016). Descriptive analysis of rainfall and temperature trends over Akure, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 9(11): 195- 202.
Okigbo, R. N, Anukwuorji, C. A. and Eguae, C. T. (2012). Control of microorganisms causing the deterioration of yam chips with Vernonia amygdalina (L.) and Zingiber officinale (L.). Nigerian Journal of Mycology, 5: 1-7
Okwulehie, I.C., Nwosu, C.P. and Okoroafor, C.J. (2007). Pharmaceutical and nutritional prospects of two wild macro-fungi found in Nigeria. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 2(4): 715-720.
Okwulehie, I.C. and Okwujiako, I.A. (2008). The use of local Nigerian substrates for the production of Pleurotus ostreatus var. Florida (Egcr) sporophores. Journal of Dynamic Biochemistry, Process Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, 2(1): 38-40.
Onuoha, C.I., Ukaular, U. and Onuoha, B.C. (2009). Cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius using some agro-waste materials. Agricultural Journal, 4(2): 109-112.
Singh, A., Sharma, S., Kumar, A. and Singh, R. (2018). Nitrogen availability affects protein production in mushrooms. Journal of Fungi, 5(2): 35. doi: 10.3390/jof5020035
Stanley, H. and Odu, N. (2012). Cultivation of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus tuberegium) on selected organic waste. International Journal of Advance Biological Research, 2(2): 446–448.
Thimmaiah S. (2004). Standard Methods of Biochemical Analysis. Kalyani Publishers; Ludhiana, India
Upadhyay, R.C. and Verma, R.N. (2000). Non-conventional substrates for growing oyster mushrooms. Mushroom Research, 9(1), 35–38.
Wang, D., Zhang, J., Li, Q. and Wang, X. (2018). Effects of substrate on mushroom quality and shelf life. Journal of Food Engineering, 231: 113-121. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2018.03.009