Comparative proximate and micro nutrient analysis between home-grown and indigenous mushrooms.

Abstract

Mushroom are known traditionally for their culinary and nutritional benefits, making them a widely and preferred choices in various cuisines worldwide. Mushrooms provide a source of essential nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals hence serve as a valuable addition to human diets especially in regions where protein sources are limited. The study compared two distinct categories of mushrooms that are subject to different growing conditions. The grouping into wild and home-grown serves as a key independent variable. This quasi-experimental comparison helps to isolate the effect of growth conditions on the composition of the mushrooms. Protein content reveals a clear contrast: wild mushrooms such as Amanita zambiana (18.39 ± 0.15 g/100g dw) and Lactarius deliciosus (17.25 ± 0.05 g/100g dw) aim at moderate levels comparable to typical wild mushroom values. However, cultivated species like Pleurotus ostreatus (27.25 ± 0.88 g/100g dw) and especially Agaricus bisporus (34.05 ± 0.68 g/100g dw) exhibited significantly higher protein contents.The F statistic (0.033978) is much lower than its critical value (2.75871), and the p-value is almost 1.0. indicating that the overall proximate compositions (i.e., ash, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, fat, and moisture) do not differ significantly among the mushroom groups sampled.The p-value of 0.80796 is much higher than the conventional significance level of 0.05, and the F-value (0.061536) is well below the F-critical value (4.667193). This indicates that the difference in flavonoid content between wild mushrooms (mean ≈ 1.88) and home-grown mushrooms (mean ≈ 1.76) is not statistically significant. The carbohydrate content (expressed on a dry weight basis) is notably higher in wild mushrooms (63.76% dw) than in home‑grown mushrooms (48.67% dw). This indicate that wild growing conditions trigger more lipid storage, possibly as an adaptive energy reserve under environmental stress. The ash, representing total mineral content, is higher in home‑grown mushrooms (10.36% dw) compared to wild mushrooms (8.77% dw). This suggests that home‑grown mushrooms may benefit from mineral supplementation or more controlled nutrient availability in the substrate. In conclusion, home-grown mushrooms and wild mushrooms have a potential to provide a reliable source of nutrients especially among the poor and marginalized groups. Adapting cultivation methods to maximize the desirable nutritional traits of mushrooms can significantly contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. By leveraging the inherent qualities of both wild and home-grown mushrooms, policy makers can design integrated food systems that improve local nutrition.