EFFECT OF SPOROCARP MATURITY ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SUBSTRATE COLONIZED BY Lentinus subnudus BERK

Abstract

Changes brought about on chemical composition of substrate colonized by Lentinus subnudus Berk by developing sporocarp were investigated.  The colonized substrate was assayed for its proximate  constituents at five fruitbody developmental stages of spawn run, primordia, young, mature and  over-mature and the proximate analyses were for moisture, dry matter, ash, ethanol-soluble sugars, protein, total lipid and crude fibre. Decreases in crude fibre, total lipids and protein contents of substrate were observed from spawn run to over-mature stage.  In contrast, dry matter and ash contents increased from spawn run to over-mature stage. The substrate sugar content was found to increase from spawn run (3.6%) to mature stage (5.8%) and thereafter decreased at the over-mature stage (2.3%).