Cultivation of Pleurotus citrinopileatus on handmade paper and cardboard industrial wastes

The study deals with the cultivation of Pleurotus citrinopileatus on the sludge of handmade paper and cardboard industrial waste. These industrial wastes are rich in cellulosic and lignocellulosic pulp residues which can be used as a novel substrate for the cultivation of mushrooms. These industrial wastes were used alone and in combination with wheat straw for the cultivation of mushroom. To assess suitability of mushroom (carpophores) for consumption, cultivated carpophores analyzed for nutritional content and genotoxicity by standard AOAC methods and Ames test, respectively. A significant decrease in the biological efficiency, protein and fat of the said mushroom (only in the mentioned sludges) was observed, nevertheless, carpophores possessed a high amount of frameshift mutagens and thus being non-consumable. Contrastingly, the carpophores that were developed on the absolute equal combination of industrial sludge and wheat straw were found to possess high biological efficiency, protein, carbohydrate and fat content whereas decrease frameshift mutagens. On boiling the aqueous extract of mushroom, a further decrease in frameshift mutagens was observed. In conclusion, the use of combination of sludge and wheat straw not only increased the biological efficiency but also provided less mutagenic carpophores and mutagenicity of these carpophores further reduced on boiling.

► Handmade paper and cardboard industrial sludges wereused to cultivate Pleurotus.
► Sludgeswere used alone and in combination with wheat straw.
► P. citrinopileatus successfully cultivated with good biological efficiency.
► Substrate and their combination affect the nutritional content.
► P. citrinopileatuswas found to be mutagenic.
► Mutagenicity of fruiting bodies were found to be reduced on cooking.