Morphological characteristics and mycelial growth conditions of the medicinal mushroom Pleurotus tuber-regium (Fr.) Sing. first recorded in Vietnam

Abstract

Edible and medicinal mushrooms are of great importance in daily life as well as in scientific research. Pleurotus tuber-regium (syn. Lentinus tuber-regium) is a tropical, wood-decaying mushroom species that can be cultivated on a wide range of substrates. Its fruiting bodies develop in environments with moist conditions and high fiber content. The specimen of the medicinal mushroom P. tuber-regium was collected from Thuong Tien Nature Reserve in Phu Tho province, representing the first recorded occurrence of this species in the fungal flora of Vietnam. In this study, the morphological characteristics and mycelial growth conditions of the medicinal mushroom P. tuber-regium were analysed. The mycelium of medicinal mushroom was aseptically isolated and purified, and then the effects of different culture conditions were investigated using various media, including potato dextrose agar (PDA), malt extract agar (MEA), and Czapek-Dox agar (Czapek), as well as different temperatures (20, 25, 30, and 35°C), and pH levels (6.0, 6.5, and 7.0). The results indicated that the medicinal mushroom samples grew and developed optimally on PDA medium at temperatures of 25-30°C and an optimal pH of 6.5.