Different Factors Affecting Mushrooms
The substrate type and growth conditions are closely linked to the growth and
development of fungi in terms of quality and quantity aspects. Wheat straw has been found to
be superior to other agro-wastes in terms of colonization and production rates
(Philippoussis et al., 2001)
. The substrate also influences the mineral composition, as the hyphae of fungi
come into contact with the compound and extract essential elements. Furthermore, the
substrate can accumulate toxic metals. Variations in protein and nutrient contents in
mushroom fruiting bodies have been observed when grown on different agro-wastes
(Karmani et al., 2022).
Figure 2: Different types of factors which affect the Pleurotus spp (Bellettini et al., 2019).
The development of mushrooms is influenced by the pH level, which varies depending
on the stage of growth, with a range of 4.0 to 7.0 for mycelium development and 3.5 to 5.0
for basidiocarp formation, while the optimal pH for overall growth and fruiting body
development is between 6.5 and 7.0; during the process of fungal colonization, the pH of the
substrate is reduced to around 4.0 to facilitate the reduction of organic acids, such as oxalic
acid, in order to prepare for the packaging of the solid-state fermentation crop, where the
medium pH is adjusted to 6.0 (Kalmis et al., 2008).
Lignocellulosic materials typically have low mineral content and require additives to
improve mushroom production. Culture media for mushroom cultivation often include
minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, zinc,
manganese, cobalt and vitamins. Additionally, excessive supplementation can result in
undesirable flavor in the mushrooms. Certain minerals, including sulfur ions, phosphorus,
potassium, and magnesium, promote the growth of Pleurotus spp (Philippoussis et al., 2001).
Table 1: Different agro-industrial wastes as a substrate for mushroom cultivation and nutrient
content (Dehariya et al., 2020).
Agro- Mushroom Biolo Crude Carbohyd Fat Fibe Ash
Industrial Species gical Protein / rate / r /(%)
Wastes Effica Protein /(%) (%) /
cy (%) (%)
(%)
Cattail P. florida 90% 3.8 g 34 g 0.46 30.7 -
weed P. ostreatus 89% 3.2 g 41 g g g -
substrate P.sajor-caju 82% 4.8 g 38 g 0.53 29.3 -
g g
0.61 31.6
g g
Soybean P. ostreatus - 24.66 53.20 2.82 7.15 6.70
straw - 23.40 53.33 2.80 7.70 6.30
Paddy straw - 21.00 55.20 2.60 7.35 6.35
Wheat
straw
Other trace elements like calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper and molybdenum can
supplement the substrate for these mushrooms. Potassium is often found in high
concentrations due to its abundance in agro-waste used for mushroom cultivation. However,
phosphorus was found to have the highest value among all minerals in a study on P. ostreatus
cultivated on different agro-wastes (Dehariya et al., 2020) . Copper is an important
micronutrient that activates enzymes and promotes laccase production. Increased copper
sulfate concentration has been shown to enhance laccase production by P. ostreatus.
Mycelium of P. ostreatus can accumulate significantly more iron than its fruiting body,
making it a potential source of iron from non-animal origin. The variation in mineral content
of mushrooms likely reflects the mineral composition of the substrate used for cultivation.
Heavy metals, such as iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, chromium and zinc are essential in
trace amounts for living organisms but can also pose hazards as pollutants.
Silicon (Si), a non-metallic element, occupies the position as the second most abundant
element in the Earth's crust, which is a well-known fact. Elemental silicon is seldom found in
its pure form due to its strong affinity for oxygen, resulting in the formation of silica and
silicates. In terms of its presence in our diet, silicon can be found in varying amounts in a
wide range of plant-based foods such as cereal grains, certain fruits and vegetables, as well as
in drinking water, particularly mineral water and even some alcoholic beverages, most
notably beer. It is interesting to note that silicon, despite its prevalence, is not considered an
essential nutrient for plants, as most plant species are capable of completing their life cycle
without it (Etesami and Jeong, 2018).
Nevertheless, some plant species have the ability to accumulate silicon at
concentrations higher than that of many essential micronutrients. It is believed that the
occurrence of silicon within plants is the result of its uptake from the soil in the form of
soluble Si(OH)4, followed by its controlled polymerization at the final destination within the
plant structure. However, it is important to highlight that the ability of a plant to accumulate
silicon varies significantly between different species, with accumulation ranging from 0.1%
to 10% of the plant's dry weight (Hajiboland et al., 2018) . Consequently, extensive research
has been conducted to thoroughly investigate the process of silicon uptake in plants. The
findings of these studies reveal that silicon accumulation tends to be more predominant,
although not exclusively, in monocotyledonous plants, with species belonging to the Poaceae,
Equisetaceae and Cyperaceae families showing particularly high levels of silicon
accumulation (4% Si on dry weight). Furthermore, the presence of silicon in plants has been
found to have several positive effects, including an increase in horticultural production,
protection against abiotic stress, and an increase in the production of phytoalexins and
phenols, as well as peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, and chitinase in Cucumis sativus
(D’Imperio et al., 2016).
Regarding the nutritional aspects, it should be noted that the intake of silicon (Si) has
been found to have a positive association with bone mineral density in both men and
premenopausal women. Si supplementation can enhance the rate of bone mineralization. In
addition to these findings, numerous studies conducted on cell and tissue cultures have also
been aimed at determining the mechanisms through which Si affects bone health.
Furthermore, other authors have observed that Si can stimulate cell proliferation, alkaline
phosphatase activity (ALP), and osteocalcin, while also increasing the production of type I
collagen in osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63) and osteoblastic cell line hepatocellular
carcinoma HCC1 (D’Imperio et al., 2016).
