ABSTRACT
Ergosterol, converted to vitamin D2 when exposed to direct sunlight or irradiated with UV, is a steroid found in the fungal cell membrane of mushrooms. It is also considered a biomarker for fungal biomass. Pleurotus eryngii an edible nutraceutical mushroom could be a good source of ergosterol. Using higher biomass production strategies under shake flasks submerged culture conditions, ergosterol enhancement has been observed in Pleurotus eryngii. The highest dry biomass obtained in PDB medium after 12 days was 10 ± 1 g/l and ergosterol content was 1.5 ± 0.2 mg/g (dry cell mass).
