Determining the Optimal Temperature for Pleurotus ostreatus Mycelium Growth

Abstract

Pleurotus ostreatus, a widely cultivated mushroom, possesses various economic, nutritional, and environmental values and has been extensively used in the medical field in antioxidants and antitumors. The mycelium, a root-like structure of the mushroom, grows by creating a network of thread-like branching fibres, also known as hyphae, and is mainly composed of chitin, proteins, and cellulose. This study aimed to investigate the optimal temperature for mycelium growth of P. ostreatus between 20℃, 25℃, and 30℃ in agar medium. Circular gills from oyster mushrooms were incubated in these three different temperatures, and the diameter of mycelium expansion was tracked and measured over the span of two weeks. The results indicated that 25℃ was the most optimal temperature for Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium network growth for this experiment. However, several challenges and sources of error were faced throughout the study, such as potential contamination, moisture loss, and light sensitivity, which may have impacted the results. Future studies should consider preventing these sources of error to improve the accuracy of their results. By understanding the most suitable temperature for mycelium growth, their mass production for nutritional or medical uses will be more successful.