Comparative study of the degradation of flax shive by strains of Pleurotus

Summary Among the four strains of Pleurotus tested, hybrid strain A was found to degrade flax shive faster than the other three strains. Strain A produced more polygalacturonase, pectinlyase, cellulase and laccase enzymes than the other three strains of Pleurotus. Maximum activities of laccase and polysaccharide degrading enzymes were correlated with high weight loss, reduction in the yield of lignin and holocellulose and the degree of polymerisation of holocellulose. The addition of crude extract of flax shive on unextracted-shive increased the production of primordia of all the four strains, but it did not increase the degradation of flax shive. Flavonoid type compounds were detected in the crude extract of flax shive and they may be responsible for the increase in the production of mushroom primordia.