Exploring the Health Benefits of Two Oyster Mushroom Species of Genus Pleurotus (Agaricomycetes): Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity.

The development of natural sources of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents is crucial for advancing both food safety and pharmaceutical applications. This study aimed to evaluate the comparative variation in the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of fruit body extracts of two Pleurotus species, cultivated on substrates supplemented with ZnO and Se nanoparticles (NPs) that were mycologically synthesized from hyphal extracts of respective species, Pleurotus djamor (PD) and P. sajor-caju (PSC). These NPs on supplementation in wheat straw substrate resulted in biofortified PD and PSC fruit bodies (FBs). Among the findings, MycoZnONPs-PD FB extracts demonstrated the highest H2O2 and FRAP radical scavenging activity, while MycoZnONPs-PSC FB extracts exhibited the strongest DPPH activity. Additionally, MycoZnONPs-PD FB extracts showed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas MycoSeNPs-PD and MycoSeNPs-PSC extracts were highly effective against Escherichia coli. This study highlights the enhancement in the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of PD and PSC FB extracts when cultivated on NP-supplemented straw substrates, underscoring their potential as valuable sources of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents with applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.