Environmental & Analytical Toxicology

Productivity, Vitamins and Heavy Metals Analysis of Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq: Fr) Kumm. Fruit Bodies Cultivated on Wood Logs

Abstract

Nwoko MC, Onyeizu UR and Achufusi JN

This research was conducted to determine the productivity, vitamins and heavy metals concentration of Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq: Fr) Kumm. friut bodies cultivated on different wood logs. Pure mycelium culture of P. ostreatus was aseptically multiplied by grain-to-grain transfer using sorghum grains. Fully colonized spawn was used to inoculate Mangifera indica, Dacryodes edulis and Treculia africana logs and incubated in the dark at 27°C ± 2 M. Fruit body primordia were first observed in D. edulis followed by T. africana and lastly on M. indica logs after 11, 13 and 15 days respectively. M. indica log substrate gave the highest (245.8100 g/kg) yield of P. ostreatus fruit bodies among other log substrates. Vitamin contents were significantly highest in P. ostreatus cultivated on D. edulis logs while P. ostreatus cultivated on all the log substrates accumulated copper more than every other heavy metals analyzed. Both vitamins and heavy metals contents of P. ostreatus across various log substrates were significantly different p<0.05. Cultivation of P. ostreatus on M. indica logs especially before they are used for firewood will help boost food provision.