Pleurotustuber-regium is a
saprotroph found on
dead wood, including Daniellia trees in Africa.[3] As the fungus consumes the wood, it produces a
sclerotium, or storage tuber, either within the decaying wood or in the underlying soil. These sclerotia are round, dark brown with white interiors, and up to 30 cm wide. The
fruiting bodies then emerge from the sclerotium. Both the sclerotium and the fruiting bodies are edible.[1]
In addition to being saprotrophic, P. tuber-regium is also
nematophagous, catching
nematodes by paralyzing them with a toxin.[4]
Pleurotus tuber-regium has a
history of economic importance in Africa as food and as a
medicinal mushroom.[1][5] Industrial cultivation is not yet common, but studies have shown P. tuber-regium can be grown on organic wastes such as
corn,
sawdust,
cardboard.[3][5][6] Mycelial growth occurs between 15 °C and 40 °C, with an optimum growth rate at 35 °C.[1] A recent study demonstrated that polysaccharides of P. tuber-regium are able to delay the progression of diabetes and associated complications in rats with insulin resistance.[7]
Pleurotus tuber-regium can degrade polyethylene film.[8]
^Vilgalys, R.; Moncalvo, J.M.; Liou, S.R.; Volovsek, M. (1996).
"Recent advances in molecular systematics of the genus Pleurotus"(PDF). In Royse, D.J. (ed.). Mushroom biology and mushroom products: proceedings of the 2nd International Conference, June 9–12, 1996. University Park, PA (USA): Pennsylvania State University: World Society for Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products. pp. 91–101. Archived from
the original(PDF) on 2011-09-02. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
^
abOkhuoya, J. A.; Okogbo, F. O. (1990). "Induction of edible sclerotia of Pleurotus tuber-regium (FR) Sing, in the laboratory". Annals of Applied Biology. 117 (2): 295–298.
doi:
10.1111/j.1744-7348.1990.tb04215.x.
^Hibbett, D. S.; Thorn, R. G. (Sep–Oct 1994). "Nematode-Trapping in Pleurotus tuberregium". Mycologia. 86 (5): 696–699.
doi:
10.2307/3760542.
JSTOR3760542.