Survey of the Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of Lata Jarum, Raub, Pahang, Malaysia

Johari Jalinas1, Adam J2 and Farrah Azwa3 of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, 43650 Bangi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2Frasers Hill Research Centre, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 3Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia *E-mail: johari_j@ukm.my (Corresponding author)
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Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms are rich in all kinds of beneficial nutrients, bioactive compounds and low in calories with potentially to commercialize for nutritional and medicinal applications. 15 species of edible and medicinal mushrooms were collected at Lata Jarum, Raub, Pahang Darul Makmur i.e Lentinus sajor-saju, Termitomyces sp., Schizophyllum commune, Pycnoporus sanquineus, Tremella sp, Cookiena tricholoma, Cookiena sulcipies, Microporous xanthopus, Auricularia auricular-judae, Auricularia polytricha, Lentaria sp,. Coprinus disseminates, Xylaria polymorph, Volvariella volvacea, Trametes versicolor. In this research, we reported the checklist of edible and medicinal mushrooms at Lata Jarum, Raub, Pahang Darul Makmur. The indigenous communities (Orang Asli) in Malaysia have been consuming these mushrooms as food as well as traditional medicine. This result will give a new insight to explore and exploit the value of edible and medicinal mushrooms in Malaysia for the production of cultivated mushrooms. The domestic market for edible mushrooms as food and medicine in Malaysia is expected to rise as the public concerned towards the nutritional and health benefits. Exotic mushrooms are highly demanded and the high priced make mushroom industry growing into a lucrative business.