Study of Cultivation and Drying Techniques of HYPSIZYGUS ULMARIUS Elm Oyster Mushroom and their Effects on its Bioactive Compounds

Abstract

The current study investigates the influences of enriched or supplemented substrates of various combinations on the mushroom species, Hypsizygus ulmarius, focusing on substrate elemental analysis, crop cycle phase, yield parameters, nutritive composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial profile. Elemental composition analysis revealed variation in carbon, nitrogen and C/N ratio across substrates. Harvesting data revealed that the number of fruiting bodies in first flush were generally yield more than the second. For instance, the control batch yields an average of 22 mature fruiting bodies per bag in the first flush, 13 in the 2nd and 7.5 in the 3rd. Similarly, the G500 batch yielded 19.6, 12, and 9.25 mature fruiting bodies per bag in the respective flushes. Total yield and biological efficiency varied across batches, with the M1000 batch showing the highest yield of 5533.2 gm with efficiency of 92.25%, while the G1500 batch had the lowest yield of 1018.25 gm and a biological efficiency of 31.33%. The study discovered that the range of polysaccharide content varies from 25.43 % in M1500-SD samples to 61.89 % in G500-OD samples and protein levels ranged from 7.46% in G1500-SD samples to 21.23% in M1000-OD samples. Findling also highlights the antioxidant and antibacterial activities directly affected by drying methods and extraction solvent solutions. In methanolic extract higher antioxidant activity achieved as compared to aqueous and petroleum ether extracts. Moreover, oven drying fruiting bodies possesses higher antioxidant potential than sun drying. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained in M1000-OD samples. DPPH scavenging capacity ranges from 82.38% to 92.86% with OD samples showing higher values. TPC varied from 6.79 to 21.89 mg/GAE/g dm, with oven-dried M1000 samples having the highest TPC. The substrate significantly influenced antioxidant potential, with maximum activity in fruiting bodies grown over 20% supplemented substrate. OD methanolic concentrates of Hypsizygus ulmarius fruiting body showed higher antibacterial activity than SD samples. newline