ABSTRACT
Pleurotus species are the most exploitable commercially important mushrooms with valuable biotechnological, nutritional and medicinal properties. The genus Pleurotus consists of nearly 40 species and many have been reported to be of high economic significance. They have a high capacity to degrade complex organic lignin materials and convert them to utilisable food sources. Pleurotus species are highly adaptive, easy to cultivate with low production cost and environmentally friendly technology to utilise various agro-industrial residues. Therefore, agro wastes can be transformed into human food, besides representing an economic return for the same industries. Pleurotus mushrooms have gained considerable attention from food and pharmacological industries for their nutraceutical and medicinal properties. In recent years, the food industry has been looking forward to value-added products that are commercially profitable. Pleurotus has a proven record of many health benefits. People consume them as a functional food due to their richness in umami-taste, protein and dietary fibre. Pleurotus mushrooms are potential sources of bioactive components that are sufficient to prevent and treat various lifestyle diseases. Additionally, the nanoparticle synthesis from Pleurotus species is widely used in therapeutic applications, like targeted drug delivery, cosmetics and allied areas. The unique degradation properties of Pleurotus species are widely applied in many bioremediation activities, such as the production of bioethanol, heavy metal degradation and organic solid waste recycling.
