IJMBR 5 (2017) 24-31 ISSN 2053-180X Yield potentials, nutritional and mycochemical properties of fruit-bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida, grown on Andropogon gayanus straw; supplemented with Anthonotha macrophylla Okwulehie, I. C.*, Okwuowulu, E. O., Ezeh, C. G. and Ikechukwu, G. C. Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria. Article History ABSTRACT Received 19 January, 2017 Received in revised form 09 March, 2017 Accepted 13 March, 2017 Keywords: Andropogon gayanus, Anthonotha macrophylla, Mycochemical, composition, Yield. Article Type: Full Length Research Article The study involved the investigation of the effect of Andropogon gayanus straw and Anthonotha macrophylla bark on the yield and mycochemical composition of Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida. The highest gross yield of fruit-bodies of P. ostreatus was obtained from substrate E, while the least was found in substrates B. Similarly, the fresh and dry weights of the fruit-bodies of substrate E were higher than those from other substrates. The pileus diameter and stipe lengths of the fruit-bodies from the substrate followed the same trend as in the number of fruit-bodies. Based on the mycochemicals composition, the highest alkaloid content was obtained from substrate C, while substrates E had the least. The highest tannin content was obtained from substrates D, while substrate E had the least. However, flavonoid content of the fruits-bodies followed the same trend as in tannin having the highest flavonoid content for substrates D and the least was found in substrate E. The highest hydrogen cyanide content was obtained from substrate D, while the least was obtained from substrate A. Substrate C had the highest anthocyanin content, while substrate E had the least. The appreciable levels of the mycochemicals obtained from the mushrooms, as affected by the substrates and its supplementations, indicate their medicinal values and property which support the safety of mushroom for consumption. The results of the investigations suggest that growing P. ostreatus on 50:50 A. gayanus straw and A. macrophylla bark produced the highest number and best quality fruit-bodies among the whole substrates. This fact makes the substrate suitable for the cultivation of mushrooms healthy for consumption purposes. The use of A. gayanus and A. macrophylla in the ratio of 1:1 is therefore recommended for potential commercial production of mushroom for the Nigerian market. ©2017 BluePen Journals Ltd. All rights reserved INTRODUCTION Mushroom is a general term applied to fungi that belong to the division Basidiomycetes and a few members of the division Ascomycotina. They are saprophytes and are *Corresponding author. phylyke@yahoo.com. known to grow on a wide variety of substrates and habitats. However, the fact still remains that mushrooms show preference on particular substrata within a habitat (Adesina et al., 2011). The fruiting-bodies of most mushrooms are shaped like an umbrella with central stalk (stipe) supporting a cap (pileus), which bears gills (lamellae) that produce spores on the lower side. In some