American Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Products

AUTHOR(S): Maria Fernandez, Peter Jansen and Elena Petrova

ABSTRACT:Supplementing cultivation substrate of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus with biochar — a carbon-rich byproduct of biomass pyrolysis — offers a sustainable route to valorize agricultural waste while potentially enhancing mushroom nutritional and nutraceutical quality. This research investigates the effect of biochar supplementation on the natural bioactive compound profile of P. ostreatus fruiting bodies. Substrates were amended with graded concentrations of biochar derived from spent mushroom substrate (SMS-derived biochar), and mushrooms were cultivated under controlled conditions. After harvest, bioactive compounds including phenolics, fatty acids, tocopherols and terpenoids were extracted and quantified; antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated using standard assays. Results demonstrated that moderate levels of biochar supplementation significantly increased concentrations of several bioactive constituents compared with control substrate, and enhanced antioxidant capacity — without adverse effects on yield or fruiting efficiency. These findings suggest that biochar amendments can enrich the nutraceutical profile of oyster mushrooms while supporting sustainability and waste‑to‑resource conversion. This strategy could contribute to producing functional foods with higher antioxidant potential, aligning mushroom cultivation with circular‑economy objectives.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/23219114.2025.v13.i1b.281

Pages: 140-144  |  95 Views  44 Downloads