Mushrooms have been valued by humankind as an edible and medicinal resource since several centuries. Their use in food and medicine dates back to over 2000 years. Low in calories and high in proteins, fiber and amino acids, minerals, dietary fibersand vitamins.
Mushrooms in balanced quantity has been recommended by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) as the food of under developed countries.
More than 50,000 varieties of mushrooms have been reported and are classified as edible, medicinal, hallucinogenic and poisonous. Twenty mushroom species have been classified as edible and among them, four genera are under commercial cultivation throughout India.
Edible and medicinal mushrooms can not only convert the huge lignocellulosic biomass waste into human food, but also most remarkably can produce notable myco pharmaceuticals, myconutriceuticals and mycocosmeceuticals.
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