The effect of substrates on the growth, yield, nutritional and phytochemical components of Pleurotus ostreatus supplemented with four medicinal plants

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of substrates on the growth, yield, nutritional, and medicinal value of Pleurotus ostreatus supplemented with four medicinal plants. A completely randomized block design was laid out with 4 treatments replicated 4 times with and without medicinal plants. T1 (sawdust), T2 (sawdust + corncobs), T3 (palm cones), and T4 (elephant stalks) were the treatments used. Croton macrastarchus, Harungana madagascariensis, Tithonia diversifolia, and Rauwolfia vomitoria were the medicinal plants used . Nutritional and phytochemical analysis was carried out. Sawdust + corn cobs indicated the highest effect on growth as it had the highest mean height (19.5 ± 3.3 cm), diameter (29.0 ± 4.3 cm) and mean weight of individual fruiting bodies (175.8 ± 84.3 cm). Biological efficiency was highest in palm cones (77.1%), second by sawdust + corn cobs (61.1%), saw dust (53.0%) and elephant stalk (6.3%). The protein content was highest in sawdust + corn cobs (12.4 g), lipid concentration highest in sawdust only (1.51 g), total carbohydrate highest in palm cones (82.98 g), and total ash highest in sawdust only (7.32 g) per 100 g. The supplementation of sawdust + corn cobs with R. vomitoria had the highest phytochemical components.