Pleurotus: From Farm to Pharmacy

Long ago, Pleurotus mushrooms (commonly known as oyster mushrooms) were discovered growing naturally on decaying logs across Asia and Europe. Valued for their delicate flavor and revered in traditional medicine, they were believed to boost immunity and promote heart health. As the demand for sustainable food sources grew, it was found that Pleurotus species could be cultivated easily on agricultural wastes like wheat straw and cotton stalks. This made them an ideal candidate for low-cost, eco-friendly farming, supporting food security, and rural livelihoods. Further, modern scientific research validated their status as a superfood, revealing a rich nutritional profile, including high-quality protein, dietary fiber, B-complex vitamins, essential minerals, and a range of bioactive compounds such as ß-glucans and phenolics. These compounds impart a wide range of therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, and other health-promoting effects. Today, Pleurotus mushrooms have transcended their traditional roles to become key ingredients in functional foods, dietary supplements, and even green nanotechnology, symbolizing the fusion of ancient wisdom with modern science.

• The book explores the historical and cultural significance of Pleurotus mushrooms in traditional medicine, aligns it with current scientific evidence, and provides detailed descriptions of their morphological characteristics.

• It offers a comprehensive guide to sustainable oyster mushroom farming, from mycelial culture and spawn production to agro-waste-based cultivation and postharvest management, promoting waste-to-wealth models and eco-friendly agriculture.

• The book highlights the rich nutritional profile and therapeutic potential of Pleurotus mushrooms, with practical sections on culinary applications and traditional recipes. The book also discusses biofortification strategies to enhance micronutrient content, helping combat hidden hunger and promote dietary wellness.

• It illustrates the emerging role of Pleurotus mushrooms in green nanotechnology, detailing eco-friendly nanoparticle synthesis methods and their promising medicinal applications in antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer therapies.

• The book promotes low-cost cultivation and value-added product development, supporting food security, rural income generation, and women-led entrepreneurship. It includes a market analysis of the growing global demand for Pleurotus products and potential avenues for small-scale businesses.

Dr. Somanjana Khatua is an assistant professor in the Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. She pursued a master’s in botany and Ph.D. from the University of Calcutta. Earlier, she was appointed by the West Bengal Education Service and posted at Krishnagar Government College. The areas of her research interest include drug development, immunology, carbohydrate biology, natural products, medical mycology, and functional food. To date, she has published 93 papers in different peer-reviewed journals such as Current Research in Biotechnology, Phytotherapy Research, Biodegradation, Chemico-Biological Interactions, Food and Function, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Scientific Reports, PLOS ONE, the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, PeerJ, Carbohydrate Polymers, Carbohydrate Research, and the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. She has 83 papers in Scopus and 1,922 Scopus citations, as well as 2,426 Google Scholar citations. Her h-index is 26 (Scopus) and 30 (Google Scholar), while her Google Scholar i10 index is 54. She has received many awards, such as the Woman Botanist Award 2020 from the Indian Botanical Society and the Outstanding Paper Award from the Government of West Bengal, India. She has been included in the top 2% of scientists list in the Elsevier (Stanford University) ranking in 2023. She delivers many invited lectures in different colleges across India.

pursued a master’s in botany from the University of Calcutta. He then completed M.Tech. and Ph.D. from Jadavpur University. Prof. Acharya joined the University of Calcutta as Lecturer in Botany in 2004 and was promoted to Professor in 2012. To date, he has supervised 24 students for Ph.D. and published 520 research articles and 10 books. He has 12,955 Scopus citations and 17,945 Google Scholar citations. His h-index is 59 (Scopus) and 66 (Google Scholar), while his Google Scholar i10 index is 308. He was ranked first among the top 100 authors of state universities based on the Indian Citation Index 2016 by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He has been listed on Elsevier’s (Stanford University) list of the world’s top 2% of scientists for the last four years. Prof. Acharya has been elected as Fellow of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology, the Linnean Society of London, the Mycological Society of India, the Indian Mycological Society, and the International College of Nutrition, Canada. He has received many awards, including the Sir Edwin John Butler Memorial Award, the Patel Memorial Award, the Global Achievement in the Field of Phyllosphere Biology, and the Prof. K. Natarajan Memorial Award. He is on the editorial boards of many national and international journals. Prof. Acharya actively and regularly engages in lecturing at different seminars, universities, and colleges to boost young minds and inspire students. Beyond his academic roles and various administrative responsibilities, Prof. Acharya is actively promoting self-sustainability through entrepreneurship. His low-cost organic cultivation technology development has directly benefited over 1,800 farmers, further demonstrating his commitment to improving lives through sustainable practices.