Abstract
Oyster mushrooms (white oyster and Phoenix oyster) are edible, delicious and having medicinal properties. This study aimed to estimate the role of thiourea (TU) enriched with cotton waste for production of Pleurotus ostreatus (P1) and Pleurotus sajor-caju (P3). Undiluted cotton waste was used as control (T1 = 100% cotton waste) and accretion along different combination of TU (T2 = 2 mmol L−1, T3 = 4 mmol L−1, T4 = 6 mmol L−1, T5 = 8 mmol L−1 and T6 = 10 mmol L−1). This research was conducted in 2015–2016. The response of Oyster mushroom strains to TU was estimated initiation of spawn running, completion of mycelium growth (100%), biological efficiency (BE), days to completion of flushes (1st, 2nd and 3rd flush), yield, mineral contents (nitrogen (N), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), zinc (Zn), phosphorus (P), Reducing sugars, total sugars and non-reducing, Vitamin C contents and total soluble solids (TSS)of mushrooms fruiting body and spectral characteristics of mushroom examined through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) compared with control. Yield of mushroom and BE, were greater by increasing with an accretion in the various combinations of TU within the cotton waste as compared to control. Both strains of mushrooms indicated total soluble solids (TSS) (6.4–6.7 0Brix), total sugar (12.3–14%), non-reducing sugar (8.9–9.5%), reducing sugar (2.5–3.2%), Ascorbic acid (36–45.1 mg/100 g), carbohydrates (58–62.66%), crude protein (26–28%), crude fiber (26–41%), fat contents (35.3–37%) and ash content (4.35–16.01%) on different levels of TU supplemented with cotton waste. TU properly enriched the cotton waste suggested as a novel substrate for high-quality and nutrition rich mushrooms production.