Effects of rice landraces as cultivation media on yield and physiochemical properties of common split gill mushroom (Schizophyllum commune Fr.) cultivation

The common split gill mushroom is not only a source of food for humans but also plays a medicinal role. Mushroom cultivation typically uses sawdust as a medium, which often leads to contamination. This study investigated five Thai rice cultivars (Oryza sativa): cv. ‘Homdokmali’ (including regular Homdokmali and parboiled, known as Hang-Homdokmali), ‘Riceberry’ (including regular Riceberry and parboiled, known as Hang-Riceberry), ‘Mun-Pu’ ‘Jao-Daeng’ and ‘Jao-Luang’ – as culture media for aseptic mushroom cultivation to evaluate the yield and chemical properties of this mushrooms. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The analyses indicated that cv. ‘Jao-Daeng’ media significantly influenced the fresh weight, dry weight, yield percentage, and biological efficiency of the common split gill mushroom more than the other media. Moreover, this medium was also effective in producing antioxidant activities in both DPPH and FRAP assays compared to other media. Although mushrooms cultivated with cv. ‘Riceberry’ media exhibited the highest total glucan and β-glucan contents when evaluated and considered based on dry weight, ‘Jao-Daeng’ media also demonstrated the highest total glucan. Correlation analysis revealed that yield positively correlated with biological efficiency, while β-glucan content negatively correlated with FRAP reducing potential. The findings of this research show the potential benefits of ‘Jao-Daeng’ rice landraces for mushroom cultivation, making it an appropriate option to enhance the quality and production of bioactive compounds in cultivated mushrooms.