Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Selected Edible Mushrooms Harvested in Ondo State Rainforests

Edible wild mushrooms constitute an important, often overlooked dietary component for rural communities in the South West rainforest zone of Nigeria. Ondo State, with its extensive tropical forest cover, supports rich diversity of edible fungal species. This study assessed the proximate composition, mineral content, and amino acid profile of four edible mushroom species commonly harvested in the Akoko and Owo forest zones of Ondo State: Pleurotus ostreatus, Auricularia auricula, Termitomyces robustus, and Lentinus squarrosulus. Fresh samples were collected during the wet season (April to July), cleaned, lyophilised, and milled into flour for analysis. Proximate analysis, mineral determination by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and amino acid profiling by high performance liquid chromatography were conducted. Results indicated that all four species contained appreciable crude protein levels ranging from 18.6 to 26.4 percent on a dry weight basis. Pleurotus ostreatus exhibited the highest protein content and essential amino acid index, exceeding that of many legumes. Iron and potassium contents were notably high across all species, while fat content was low (1.2 to 3.8 percent), making them suitable for inclusion in low-fat dietary regimens. The study advocates for the integration of wild edible mushrooms into food security and nutrition programmes in South West Nigeria. Keywords: edible mushrooms, proximate composition, amino acids, Ondo State, forest foods.