Pleurotus: From Farm to Pharmacy

Long ago, Pleurotus mushrooms (commonly known as oyster mushrooms) were discovered growing naturally on decaying logs across Asia and Europe. Valued for their delicate flavor and revered in traditional medicine, they were believed to boost immunity and promote heart health. As the demand for sustainable food sources grew, it was found that Pleurotus species could be cultivated easily on agricultural wastes like wheat straw and cotton stalks. This made them an ideal candidate for low-cost, eco-friendly farming, supporting food security, and rural livelihoods. Further, modern scientific research validated their status as a superfood, revealing a rich nutritional profile, including high-quality protein, dietary fiber, B-complex vitamins, essential minerals, and a range of bioactive compounds such as β-glucans and phenolics. These compounds impart a wide range of therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, and other health-promoting effects. Today, Pleurotus mushrooms have transcended their traditional roles to become key ingredients in functional foods, dietary supplements, and even green nanotechnology, symbolizing the fusion of ancient wisdom with modern science.

Key Features:

- The book explores the historical and cultural significance of Pleurotus mushrooms in traditional medicine, aligns it with current scientific evidence, and provides detailed descriptions of their morphological characteristics.

- It offers a comprehensive guide to sustainable oyster mushroom farming, from mycelial culture and spawn production to agro-waste-based cultivation and postharvest management, promoting waste-to-wealth models and eco-friendly agriculture.

- The book highlights the rich nutritional profile and therapeutic potential of Pleurotus mushrooms, with practical sections on culinary applications and traditional recipes. The book also discusses biofortification strategies to enhance micronutrient content, helping combat hidden hunger and promote dietary wellness.

- It illustrates the emerging role of Pleurotus mushrooms in green nanotechnology, detailing eco-friendly nanoparticle synthesis methods and their promising medicinal applications in antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer therapies.

- The book promotes low-cost cultivation and value-added product development, supporting food security, rural income generation, and women-led entrepreneurship. It includes a market analysis of the growing global demand for Pleurotus products and potential avenues for small-scale businesses.

Dr. Somanjana Khatua is an Assistant Professor of Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. She pursued Master in Botany and Ph.D. from University of Calcutta. Earlier, she was appointed by West Bengal Education Service and posted in Krishnagar Government College. The areas of her research interest include drug development, immunology, carbohydrate biology, natural products, medical mycology and functional food. Till date, she has published 93 papers in different peer reviewed journals such as Current Research in Biotechnology, Phytotherapy Research, Biodegradation, Chemico-Biological Interactions, Food and Function, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Scientific Reports, PloS ONE, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, PeerJ, Carbohydrate Polymers, Carbohydrate Research, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules etc. She has 83 papers in Scopus and 1848 Scopus citations as well as 2354 Google Scholar citations. Her h-index is 25 (Scopus) and 30 (Google Scholar), while Google Scholar i10 index is 51. She has received many awards like Woman Botanist Award 2020 from Indian Botanical Society, Outstanding Paper Award by Government of West Bengal, India and so forth. She has been included in the top 2% of scientists list in Elsevier (Stanford University) ranking in the year 2023. She delivers many invited lectures in different colleges across India.

Prof. Krishnendu Acharya pursued Master in Botany from University of Calcutta. He then completed M. Tech. and Ph.D. from Jadavpur University. Prof. Acharya joined University of Calcutta as Lecturer of Botany in 2004 and soon acceded to Professorship in 2012. Till date, he has supervised 24 students for Ph.D. and published 520 research articles and 10 books. He has 12260 Scopus citations and 17037 Google Scholar citations. His h-index is 58 (Scopus) and 65 (Google Scholar), while his Google Scholar i10 index is 301. He was ranked 1st among top 100 authors of state universities based on Indian Citation Index 2016 by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He has been listed on Elsevier’s (Stanford University) list of the world’s top 2% of scientists for the last four years. Prof. Acharya has been elected as a Fellow of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology, the Linnean Society of London, the Mycological Society of India, the Indian Mycological Society, and the International College of Nutrition, Canada. He has received many awards, including the Sir Edwin John Butler Memorial Award, the Patel Memorial Award, the Global Achievement in the Field of Phyllosphere Biology, and the Prof. K. Natarajan Memorial Award. He is in the editorial boards of many national and international journals. Prof. Acharya is actively and regularly engaged in lecturing at different seminars, universities, and colleges to boost young minds and inspire students. Beyond his academic roles and various administrative responsibilities, Prof. Acharya is actively promoting self-sustainability through entrepreneurship. His low-cost organic cultivation technology development has directly benefited over 1800 farmers, further demonstrating his commitment to improving lives through sustainable practices.