Ethnomycology of Pleurotus tuber-regium and its use in food, medicine and bioremediation

Pleurotus tuber-regium is a mushroom of the Pleurotaceae family, native to tropical Africa and the Australasia-Pacific region. It grows on the dead or decaying wood of certain trees such as Daniellia oliviera, Terminalia superba and Blighia sapida. Pleurotus tuber-regium is the only species of oyster mushroom that produces sclerotium. In traditional African medicine, the sclerotium is used to treat various ailments such as headaches, skin diseases and diabetes. The fruiting body and sclerotium are edible and contain essential amino acids such as methionine, lysine and tryptophan. Polysaccharides from Pleurotus tuber-regium show promise in delaying the progression and complications of diabetes in insulin-resistant rats due to pleuturegin, a ribosome-inactivating protein. It has anti-tumour, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolaemic, antihypertensive, antihyperglycaemic, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Pleurotus tuber-regium has been used in the bioremediation of soil contaminated with hydrocarbons. The fungus releases microdroplets toxic to nematodes, indicating potential for soil pest control. Pseudomonas tolaasii and Lycoriella solani are among the organisms that infect Pleurotus tuber-regium during cultivation. This review discusses the ethnomycology of Pleurotus tuber-regium and its uses in food, medicine and bioremediation.