Exploring the Potential of Spent Pleurotus eryngii (Agaricomycetes) Substrate to Cultivate Pleurotus florida with Enhanced Productivity, Nutritional Profile, and Therapeutic Potential.

Abstract

Every year, several mushroom farms create a significant volume of discarded mushroom substrate. To make use of spent mushroom substrate, Pleurotus florida was grown on wheat straw that had been supplemented in varying amounts with one year old spent substrate of Pleurotus eryngii, wheat bran, and CaCo3. Physico-chemical parameters of the substrates (pH, C, and N) were higher prior to cultivation and reduced following cultivation except electrical conductivity, that displayed the opposite trend. The wheat straw used as the control showed the highest yield, approximate composition, myco-chemicals, and antioxidant activity of P. florida sporophores. According to the data, the optimal ratio for P florida production following control, was for a combination of P. eryngii spent substrate (PESS) + wheat straw + wheat bran + CaCO3 (50:40:9.5:0.5). The results imply that adding a suitable quantity of wheat straw, wheat bran and CaCo3 to discarded mushroom substrate can enable its reuse, offering a practical method for preserving the environment, cutting expenses, and producing high-quality mushrooms.