Abstract

(Objective)  This study aimed to assess the production of basidiomata of Favolus rugulosus under controlled conditions in different mushroom-growing substrates and to analyze the proximate composition of cultivated basidiomata.

(Methodology)  The species was identified through morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS marker. Its domestication potential was evaluated using various easy-access substrates. Total phenolic content and the antiradical activity against DPPH• were measured, and proximate content was assessed in cultivated basidiomata.

(Results)  The mixture of eucalyptus sawdust and straw yielded the highest production over a 45-day period, while the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest concentration of phenolic compounds (35.6 ± 2.6 mg GAE g-1) and antiradical activity against DPPH• (13.6 ± 1.3 mg AAE g-1). In terms of proximate composition, F. rugulosus basidioma contains 20% protein, 15.4% carbohydrates, 25.2% dietary fiber, and 5.7% fat.

(Conclusions)  Regarding the cultivation of Favolus rugulosus, the eucalyptus sawdust-straw mixture presented the highest yields, biological efficiency, and number of flushes. Nutritional and chemical composition analyses of basidiomata revealed that F. rugulosus is an edible mushroom with potential use in the food industry as it is a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential fatty acids.

Keywords: essential fatty acids; bioactive metabolites; proximate composition; domestication; Paraguay