Composition of nutrients in the sclerotium of the mushroomPleurotus tuber regium

A tuberous sclerotium of the mushroomPleurotus tuber regium was analysed for proximate, amino acid and mineral content. The sclerotium had low protein, ether extract, amino acid and mineral content compared to the pileus of the same mushroom and similar mushrooms. Cystine, methionine, serine, arginine and lysine were exceptionally low. Because the sclerotium is milled with melon seeds in traditional preparation of a vegetable meat-substitute, nutrient intake of a human subject consuming 100 grams of the meat-substitute was compared to intake of one consuming 100 grams of stewed broiler meat. The meat-substitute provided more minerals than broiler meat but only a fraction (40–65%) of the amino acids of broiler meat.