Background
This study documents the use of a wild edible mushroom (WEM) in Tanzania rural areas and assesses its significance as a source of healthy food and income for the disadvantaged rural dwellers.

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Wild mushroom- an underutilized healthy food resource and income generator: experience from Tanzania rural areas

Coprinus cinereus is a wild edible and medicinal mushroom available in Tanzania. Methanolic extracts were prepared from whole young and immature mushrooms and the effect of eight different post harvest treatments on nutritional content, antioxidant component and scavenging activities on DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals were studied. Result showed that Coprinus cinereus fruit bodies are good source of antioxidant and proteins although post harvest treatments had profound effects, which varied significantly at (p<0.05). The highest scavenging ability (LD 50 = 0.119) was found from mushrooms sun dried for 5 days followed by (LD50= 0.133) recorded from young and immature mushrooms (control) while the least (LD50=4.24) was obtained from mushrooms dipped in boiling 10% salt water for 1minute. On the other hand, crude protein ranged between 7-26% with highest and lowest obtained from oven dried and boiled in 10% salt for 1 minute, respectively. For total flavonoid (mg RE/g) the highest value was obtained from control (44.7) followed by (41.13) recorded from oven dried mushrooms. The total phenolic (mg GAE/g) content and vitamin C (mg/100g) varied concurrently with same treatments. They were both higher in mushrooms dehydrated with silica gel (174.77) and (175.18) and lower in mushrooms dipped in boiling water for 5 minute (59.49) and (20.17), respectively. These findings demonstrated that Coprinus cinereus is a good source of protein and antioxidant and the best post harvest method is sun drying in which, not only the shelf life of the mushroom increases but also they retains most of good qualities including improved scavenging abilities. © 2012 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved.

Effect of different post harvest treatments on nutritive and antioxidant activities of wild edible Coprinus cinereus (Schaeff.) S.Gray from Tanzania

Coprinus cinereus is a Tanzanian wild edible mushroom whose cultivation in the laboratory was performed in solid-state fermentation bioreactors using sisal decortication wastes namely; sisal dusts, sisal fibres and sisal leaves as basal substrates supplemented with chicken manure at various rates. Bioreactors containing 450 g wet weight of the three sisal wastes substrates each was supplemented with dry chicken manure at 0% (un-supplemented control), 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% of substrate dry weight. The effect of the test sisal waste substrates and chicken manure of various supplementation rates were evaluated by mushroom yield, (g fresh mushroom/kg moist substrate) and its biological efficiency, B.E. (relationship between fresh mushroom weight and dry substrate weight as percentage) and mushroom size (a ratio of total weight of fresh mushroom and total number of mushrooms). Each, sisal waste substrate and chicken manure supplement at various rates showed variable impact on mushroom yield, productivity and size. The overall best results of mushroom production were obtained in sisal dust at 25% chicken manure in terms of mushroom yield 381 g fresh mushrooms/kg moist substrate weight and its B.E. of 112% while mushroom size best results of 1.64 was obtained at 15% manure. In conclusion, results suggest that chicken manure from free-range chicken may play an important role on increasing the yield and productivity of Coprinus cinereus on sisal waste substrates under the conditions investigated.

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Cultivation of Tanzanian Coprinus cinereus (sisal compost mushroom) on three non-composted sisal waste substrates supplemented with chicken manure at various rates

Bioconversion of sisal agro-industrial waste into high protein oyster mushrooms

In this study, the antimicrobial growth inhibition and mechanistic activities of silver (Ag NPs), zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), and copper (Cu NPs) nanoparticles were investigated in presence of medicinal plant extracts of Tribulus Terrestris. The extract in different concentrations (5, 10, 20, and 30%) along with nanoparticles suspension mixture was used for antimicrobial activity testing against some human pathogenic microorganisms. Among the bacterial strains tested, Escherichia coli and Proteus sp were most susceptibile at 30% concentration followed by moderate activity against Morganella sp, Entrococcus Faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. Tribulus Terrestris had no effect on Acetobacter sp and Streptococcus agalactia. The nanoparticles used in the present investigation have shown excellent antimicrobial activity in the presence of Tribulus Terrestris, hence they can be used as potent sources for antibacterial agents.

Effect of Ag, Cu, and ZnO Nanoparticle Suspensions on the Antimicrobial Activity of Tribulus Terrestris Herbal Extracts

The effect of the interaction of varying chicken manure supplement levels with three different solid sisal wastes substrates on sporocarp cap lengths and diameters, stipe lengths and diameters and dry weights of Coprinus cinereus (Schaeff) S. Gray s.lat Coprinus cinereus (Schaeff) S. Gray s.lat is an indigenous Tanzanian edible and medicinal mushroom, which grows in the wild on decomposed sisal wastes heaps. In the laboratory, it was cultivated on three types of sisal wastes substrates each supplemented with varying chicken manure concentrations 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% using solid-state fermentation bioreactors. The results showed that the interaction of sisal dust, sisal fibres and sisal decortications leaves wastes substrates with chicken  manure at varying concentrations, produced a highly significant effect (p < 0.05) on cap lengths and diameters, stipe lengths and diameters and dry weights of C. cinereus (Schaeff) S. Gray s.lat. The interactions of sisal dust waste with 5% chicken manure concentration induced longest mean cap length and widest mean cap diameter. On the other hand, the interaction of sisal leaves decortications wastes with 25% chicken manure  concentration produced heaviest sporocarps mean dry weight. These findings for the first time illustrate importance of chicken manure supplementation in C. cinereus (Schaeff) S. Gray s.lat cultivation on sisal decortications wastes substrates. Key words : Coprinus cinereus, chicken manure, solid sisal wastes, sporocarps, pileus, stipe.

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The effect of the interaction of varying chicken manure supplement levels with three different solid sisal wastes substrates on sporocarp cap lengths and diameters, stipe lengths and diameters and dry weights of C. cinereus (Schaeff)S.Gray s.lat

LN Mwita

Papers

Cultivation of Tanzanian Coprinus cinereus (sisal compost mushroom) on three non-composted sisal waste substrates supplemented with chicken manure at various rates

The effect of the interaction of varying chicken manure supplement levels with three different solid sisal wastes substrates on sporocarp cap lengths and diameters, stipe lengths and diameters and dry weights of C. cinereus (Schaeff)S.Gray s.lat