Selenium-rich mushrooms cultivation on a wheat straw substrate from seleniferous area in Punjab, India.

Intensive rice-wheat cultivation cycle in Northern belt of India in general and in the State of Punjab in particular results in large volumes of straw and other post-harvest residue annually. The agricultural area, bordering the districts of Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur, is popularly known as the seleniferous belt of India. The agri-residues, generated in seleniferous region of this state, are observed to contain significantly high concentration of selenium (Se). The present study was aimed to evaluate the Se uptake by different mushroom species: Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Agaricus bisporus, and Volvariella volvacea, cultivated on Se-rich wheat and paddy straw from the seleniferous region. Wheat (Pleurotus species and A. bisporus) and paddy straw (V. volvacea) was inoculated with the mycelium spawn and left for 7-20 days, depending on the species, to grow. Control mushrooms were grown analogously using the agricultural residues from non-seleniferous area of the State of Punjab. All fruiting bodies were collected and analyzed in triplicate. Se was quantified using inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry. The Se accumulation was high in all species under study, being the highest in A. bisporus (1396 μg/g vs. 46.8 μg/g in controls - dry weight) and V. volvacea (231 μg/g vs. 3.77 μg/g - dry weight). The observed biological efficiency and total yield for all mushroom species showed good and unaltered productivity in Se-rich conditions, if compared to the controls. The Se-rich mushrooms can be prospective Se-supplements sourcing and biofortified foods, providing readily bioavailable and accessible Se for the diets deficient of this biologically essential element.