Cultivation and determination of nutrient contents of an edible wild Thai Hymenopellis

Abstract

Hymenopellis species are taxonomically well-studied and widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions. It is well-documented in eastern and north America and can also be found in several Asian countries, including Thailand. In this study, we collected a wild Hymenopellis specimen in northern Thailand. The morphological and phylogenetic analyses inferred from a combination of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the large subunit (nrLSU) of ribosomal DNA confirmed the taxonomic placement of the collected specimen to the genus Hymenopellis. Limited studies have documented the cultivation of Hymenopellis species. So far, only China commercially cultivates this mushroom. Pure mycelium was isolated from the internal tissues on malt extract agar (MEA). Sorghum grain was used in spawn preparation. Spawns were inoculated in bags of four different substrate formulas, and sawdust was used as the main substrate and other additives. The cultivation process was conducted for four months. Hymenopellis sp. (MFLU 19-1658) has an average yield ranging from 10.8±17.9 to 115.5±73.5 grams of basidiomata per substrate formula with an average biological efficiency ranging from 3.0±5.0 to 32.1±20.4% with the highest values exhibited by (A) sawdust (98%) + CaO (1%) + gypsum (1%), followed by (B) sawdust (30%) + corncobs (60%) + rice bran (8%) + CaO (1%) + gypsum (1%). The nutrient contents of the cultivated basidiomata were also determined in this study. The results indicated that the obtained basidiomata contained carbohydrate, crude fat, crude fiber, and protein at 49.2, 8.0, 16.5, and 17.8%, respectively. This study is the first to document the nutrient contents of the genus Hymenopellis.