IMPORTANCE OF MUSHROOM

       Mushroom is a fleshy fruiting body of some fungi arising from a group of mycelium buried in substratum. Their fruiting bodies are like umbrella, found in every country from snowy mountains to sandy deserts on all types of soils, pastures, forests, wastelands and cultivable lands. Naturally  they appear in all seasons , chiefly during rainy season, as the conditions favour the development of fruiting bodies from the buried mycelia.

           The mycelium of the fungus is present in the substratum and produce fruiting bodies when the conditions and conductive.The fruiting bodies begin as tiny knob of tissue arising from the under ground mycelium. It grows into a button, which later enlarges to form a well-developed fruiting body. The fruiting body of the mushroom consists of a stem (stipe) which supports as expanded, umbrella-shaped cap(Pileus). On the under side of the umbrella are the gills or we can say lamellae, which in the young stage are enclosed by a membrane that extends from the margin of the pileus to stipe. This membrane is known as partial veil and usually tears around the margin of the pileus as the latter expands but remains attached to the margin of the pileus as the latter expands but remains attached to the stipe where it forms a ring(Annulus). In some mushrooms , a  membrane called Universal veil of General veil covers the young buttons. When the cap expands, the veil is torn and the remnants at the base form Volva and some of the fragments remain attached to the pileus surface.

                          

Important mushrooms grown in India  

Presently mushrooms are being cultivated in about 100 countries with an annual production of 12million MT. Production of mushroom is concentrated mainly in 3 geographical regions, about 55% in Europe, 27% in North America and 14% in East Asia like Taiwan,China, Korea and Indonesia are the major mushroom growing countries. Five genera (Agaricus, Lentinus, Volvariella, Pleurotus and Auricualaria) contributed about 80% of the total world production during 2005-2006.

     List of some edible mushrooms in India.

1. Button/Temperate mushrooms - Agaricus bisporus (scientific name)
   
2. Oyester mushrooms- Pleurotus ostreatus(scientific name)
   
3. Paddy straw- Volvariella volvaceae(scientific name)
   
4. Black ear mushroom- Auricularia polytricha(scientific name)
   
5. White  milky mushroom - Calocybe indica(scientific name)
   
6. Shiitake mushrooms- Lentinus edodes(scientific name)
   
7. Wood ear mushroom - Auricularia species(scientific name)
   

      FOOD VALUE

• Mushroom are great source of high quality proteins and contain 20-35% protiens (dry weight basis) which is higher than in vegetables and fruits and is of high quality.
• Mushrooms are rich in vitamins and minerals and also very rich in lysine and tryptophan, the two essential amino acids deficient in cereals. Mushrooms contains good amount of vitamin C & B complex group (thiamine, riboflavin and niacin).
• They are rich in K, P, and Na and contain low but available form of iron Potassium: Sodium ratio is very high which is desirable for patients of hypertension.    

      MEDICINAL VALUE

• Mushroom have got medicinal properties and have traditionally been used in China and Japan for the medicinal and tonic properties.
• Anti-tumour effects have been reported by the extracts of Lentinus edodes, Flammulina velutipes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus bisporous, Pholiota nameko, Tricholoma matsutake and Auricularia auricula.
• Recently maitake (Grifola frondoso) and Shiitake mushroom have been reported to inhibitory to AIDS virus in USA and Japan.
• Its controls the blood sugar level in our body which is good for diabetic persons.