Screening and Quantitative Determination of Phytochemical Constituents of Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus pulmonarius commonly grown in South-western Nigeria

Abstract

Two Pleurotus spp (Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus pulmonarius) were screened in this study to ascertain the presence of phytochemicals in them and the detected ones were subsequently quantitatively assessed. Phlobatannin and tannin were not detected. Amongst the detected phytoconstituents analyzed; alkaloids, saponin and phytates had the highest mean values of 0.64±0.03%, 0.36±0.05% and 0.29±0.01% respectively for Pleurotus ostreatus and 0.85±0.04%, 0.26±0.04% and 0.13±0.006% respectively for Pleurotus pulmonarius. Overall, the mushrooms are good sources of useful phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phytates and alkaloids which are positively used in the prevention of renal stone formation, anticancer activities and analgesics.