Potentiality of Oyster Mushroom ( Pleurotus Spp . ) in Medicine-A Review

The members of the genus Pleurotus generally known as oyster mushroom positioned second among the commercially cultivated edible mushrooms. Different Pleurotus species not only contained a large amount of polysaccharides, proteins and vitamins but also phenolics, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, glucans and other antioxidants. Presence of these nutraceuticals enable them to exhibit different therapeutic activities such as antitumor, immunomodulatory, genoprotective, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolaemic, antihypertensive, antiplatelets, antihyperglycaemic, antimicrobial and antiviral activities. Some of these properties of oyster mushroom are discussed in the present review.