Clinical Evaluation of Pleurotus florida (White Oyster Mushroom) – Chatraka in the management of Vitamin D deficiency

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) commonly called in India as 'dhingri' develops spontaneously on dead and rotting wooden logs or sporadically on dying trunks of deciduous or coniferous trees in temperate and tropical woodlands. On exposure to sunlight or UV lamp, oyster mushrooms produce concentrations of Vitamin D that are nutritionally significant. Though long periods of storage and different types of cooking tend to decrease the vitamin D level of UV-exposed oyster mushrooms, the vitamin D level in all probability expected to remain at 10ug/100g fresh weight, which is greater than the amount in the majority of foods containing vitamin D and comparable to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D at the global level. Eligible candidates (n=50) were screened by computerized randomization method to receive Pflorida soup during the 03-month study. The efficacy parameters were evaluated through the blood investigation Vit D 25 (OH).