Artificial cultivation and evaluation of two late fall oyster strains ( Sarcomyxa edulis ) from Jilin, China

Sarcomyxa edulis is a low-temperature mushroom of Northeastern Asia. Although this mushroom is highly popular in this region, it is not currently cultivated on a large scale. In this study, two Sarcomyxa edulis strains were successfully cultivated on a combination of oak sawdust and other agricultural byproducts substrate. Their yield, biological efficiency, organic matter loss (OML), lignocellulosic degrading enzymes activity, and substrate biodegradation capacity were measured. Furthermore, the two S. edulis strains were identified by ITS sequence analysis. Their chemical and amino acid composition when cultivated on oak sawdust was measured. Strain A exhibited significantly higher biological efficiency (46 ± 7%) compared to strain B (13 ± 1%). The activity of four lignocellulosic degrading enzymes was lower in strain A than in strain B. Strain A exhibited significantly higher crude fiber content in the fruiting bodies. On the other hand, strain B had a significantly higher crude protein content. The two strains consisted of 17 amino acids, but the content of each amino acid in the two strains significantly differed. Our findings demonstrate the potential of S. edulis domestication to achieve good yield and nutritional value. This is the first report on S. edulis artificial cultivation, providing promising information and insights for its further mass production.