Pink Oyster Mushroom

Pleurotus djamour, commonly known as the pink oyster mushroom because of the pink color of the fruiting bodies, is a wood-rotting basidiomycetes which naturally grows as saprophyte on decaying logs of trees during rainy season. This exotic mushroom species was recently introduced in the country as an addition to the existing species of oyster mushroom. P. djamour is one of the widely distributed and commercially grown mushrooms in many countries. Apart from its high nutritional value and culinary importance, it is also a potential source of bioactive compounds with functional and pharmacological activities. For instance, the polysaccharide precipitate exhibited anti-tumor activity, while the fruiting bodies contain phytochemicals such as anthroquinones, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids. Moreover, it also exhibited high DPPH radical scavenging activity, antibacterial property and hypolipidimic effect.