Mushrooms: Potential protein source from cellulosic residues

Lignocelluloses are the most abundant organic renewable raw materials, with about 10–15 tons per capita produced annually by plants, available for microbial or other conversions. Although mushroom culture is one of the oldest microbial foods of man and the first solid-state fermentation, the basic research of microbial technology has not been applied to any significant extent to mushroom cultivation. In fact, the only means for converting unmodified lignocellulosics biologically is through the production of various edible mushrooms, which are regarded as a great delicacy. The cultivation techniques of various edible mushrooms and their nutritive values are reviewed in this paper.