Abstract
Oyster mushrooms are the third largest cultivated mushroom in the world. China is the world leader in oyster production, contributes nearly 85 per cent of the total world production of about a million tons (Das and Kalita, 2006). The economic importance of the mushroom lies primarily in its use a food for human consumption. Mushroom cultivation can directly improve livelihoods through economic, nutritional and medicinal contributions. Mushroom is a popular food due to their special flavour, nutritive value and medicinal properties. It is rich in vitamin C and B complex and the protein content varies between 1.6 to 2.5 per cent. It has most of the mineral salts required by the human body. The niacin content is about ten times higher than any other vegetables. It has been reported by Rop et al. (2009) and Manikandan (2010). They provide high quality fats and low in carbohydrates and cholesterol, which is ideal for reducing body weight (Qumio et al., 1990)