Growth Rate and Selenium Bioaccumulation in Pleurotus species Cultivated on Signal Grass, Urochloa decumbens (Stapf) R. D. Webster

Clement Olusola Ogidi^1*,2 , Mateus Dias Nunes², Marliane de Cássia Soares da Silva², Victor Olusegun Oyetayo¹, Bamidele Juliet Akinyele¹ and Maria Catarina Megumi Kasuya²

¹Department of Microbiology, The Federal University of Technology, PMB 704, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
²Departamento de Microbiologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-000, Brazil

Corresponding Author Email: clementogidi@yahoo.com

Supplementation of edible fungi with essential mineral during cultivation has been an interesting approach to proffer solution to mineral deficiency. Effect of selenium Se concentrations 0, 50.0, 100.0 mg mL-1 as sodium selenite on mycelial growth and biomass production of Pleurotus spp. was assessed. The biological efficiency and uptake of Se was determined after the cultivation of Pleurotus mushrooms on Urochloa decumbens signal grass with 50.0 g kg-1 of Se. The fungal growth rate and biomass production were reduced after addition of Se and their value ranged from 1.0 mm d-1 to 3.6 mm d-1 and 5.63 g to 30.5 g respectively. Higher biological efficiency (115.23%) was obtained for P. ostreatus P93 and was significantly different P<0.05 from other tested Pleurotus spp. Cultivated P. pulmonarius aborbed more Se 135.5 µg g-1 followed by Pleurotus cornucopiae 120.34 µg g-1 but no Se was detected in the control mushrooms grown on subatrate without Se. Therefore, signal grass can be used as substrate for cultivation of edible fungi Pleurotus species enriched with Se. The produced mushrooms can serve as a natural source of mineral supplement for human beings to curb the symptoms of selenium deficiency.

Edible fungi; Food enrichment; Malnutrition; Selenoprotein

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