Saponin Stimulates Fruiting of the Edible Basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus

The addition of saponin from Quillaja to malt extract agar dramatically stimulated fruit body development of Pleurotus ostreatus. Higher concentration of Quillaja saponin added to the medium suppressed the growth of pilei of fruit bodies. The results indicate that the triterpenoid-saponin is a bioactive substance for fruiting of P. ostreatus.