Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) appears more and more often in Polish stores, what is more, there is also an upward trend among people undertaking the breeding of these mushrooms in our country. Nevertheless, the oyster mushroom is still much less popular than the mushroom. It is a pity, because these mushrooms are healthy, interesting in taste and easy to process.
Oyster mushrooms, which is what?
There will probably be a lot of people who have not had any contact with oyster mushroom yet, although it is the third most produced edible mushroom in the world. In botanical terms, oyster mushrooms belong to the Basidiomycetes class. They naturally grow on dead trunks, logs and slopes of deciduous trees, but they are also grown on substrates made of lignocellulosic waste in the form of special pallets with holes. Growth takes place under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity and air composition.
Oyster mushrooms for health
Oyster mushrooms are low in calories, 100 g is only 32 kcal. This is due to the fact that their main component is water, and the dry weight is only 9,6 to 13,8 percent. most of which are carbohydrates (glycogen, fiber, cellulose and chitin). Oyster mushroom contains glucose, mannose, xylose and fructose in greater amounts than other mushrooms. These sugars can constitute up to 30 percent. the total amount of carbohydrates. The protein in this mushroom is about 1,6 percent. weight, it contains a lot of lysine, leucine, arginine and aspartic and glutamic acid, fat is present in a marginal amount – about 0,5 percent. and contains mainly unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for our body.
Oyster mushrooms contain a lot of vitamins and minerals: potassium, calcium, vitamins B and D. However, the most important and most appreciated compound found in oyster mushrooms is β-glucan. It is a natural polysaccharide that stimulates the immune system, mainly by activating immune cells such as macrophages, lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and NK cells. The activated macrophages also release numerous cytokines or mediators that destroy and inhibit the growth of cancer cells or activate other immunocytes necessary for homeostasis.
Oyster mushrooms and the monosaccharides they contain, apart from their anti-cancer properties, also have more advantages. Thanks to their rich composition, these mushrooms are selectively lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, lower blood pressure, they have antiviral and antibacterial properties and reduce inflammation in the body.
Bibliography
Kong F, Li FE, He Z, Jiang Y, Hao R, Sun X, Tong H., Anti-tumor and macrophage activation induced by alkali-extracted polysaccharide from Pleurotus ostreatus, Int J Biol Macromol. 2014; 69:561-6.
Facchini JM, Alves EP, Aguilera C, Gern RM, Silveira ML, Wisbeck E, Furlan SA., Antitumor activity of Pleurotus ostreatus polysaccharide fractions on Ehrlich tumor and Sarcoma, Int J Biol Macromol. 2014; 68:72-7.
Photos are from: a.bower via Foter.com / CC BY