Improvement of the bioconversion and biotransformation efficiencies of the oyster mushroom Pleurotus sajor-caju by supplemention of its rice straw substrate with oil seed cakes.

Supplementing the rice straw substrate colonized by the mushroom, Pleurotus sajor-caju, withpowdered
oil seed cakes (mustard, niger, sunjower, cotton, and soyabean) increased the mushroom yields
between 50 and iOO%, compared to the unsupplemented substrate. Oil seed cake supplementation also
effected an increase in the solubility of the rice straw substrate; there was an increase in the contents
offree sugars and amino acids, and a decrease in cellulo-hemicellulosics. Correspondingly, there was
also an increase in the activities of carboxymethylcellulase, hemicellulase, and protease. In vitro dry
matter enzymatic digestibility measured by two-step enzymatic digestibility of the spent straw (material
remaining from the straw substrate, supplemented with the oil seed cakes), indicated a signt$cant
increase over that of the spent straw derived from the unsupplemented lot.