Evaluation of The Nutritional Composition of The Edible Mashroom Grown on Water Hyacinth Wheat Straw and Corncob Substrates

Abstract

Substrate type is one of the critical factors that influence the composition of mushrooms such as the Pleurorus sajor-c¢y'u. This study evaluated the difference (p < 0.05) in nutritional composition of P. saj0r—caju when grown on water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) and on two common substrates (wheat straw and corncob). The mushroom spawn was cultivated at random, with three treatments (water hyacinth, wheat straw and com cob) and 15 replicates. Proximate analysis was done using the Association of analytical chemists” methods,AOAC. The mushroom yield from the corn cobs had the poorest Biological efficiency (BE) of 15.7 % compared to the hyacinths’ 27.4 % and 30.0% for wheat straw. The protein content of the P. sajor-caju, (dry weight), varied from 16.1% (wheat straw), 13.4% (hyacinth) to 10.8% (corn cobs). The crude fat ranged from 3.70% (water hyacinth); 3.85% (com cobs); 3.90% (wheat straw). The crude fiber was 15.8% (wheat straw); 16.1% (corn cobs) and 18.2% (water hyacinth). Of the nutritive elements analyzed, potassium was the most abundant with concentration as high as 11.5 mg/g from the water hyacinth substrate. The amino acids of protein identified on all three treatments using the circular paper chromatography were leucine and isoleucine; phenylalanine; alanine; glutamic acid and threonine; serine, glycine, and aspartic acid; arginine; lysine and histidine; cystine; Methionine and tryptophan were present in traces in the free amino acid fraction. It was concluded the edible mushroom Pleurotus saj0r- caju when grown on water hyacinth substrate is similar in nutritional composition to those grown on wheat straw and com cob substrates.