Phytochemical Profile of Pleurotus florida (White Oyster Mushroom)

Below is a synthesis of what has been chemically characterized in Pleurotus florida (sometimes listed as Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida) and, where needed, what is known at genus level and confirmed for this variety.

Major Phytochemical Groups Identified in P. florida

Class / group	Main examples documented for P. florida (or var. florida)	Notes / activities	Citations
Phenolic acids	3‑methoxy‑4‑hydroxy cinnamic acid (PF5); p‑coumaric, t‑cinnamic, gallic, vanillic, p‑hydroxybenzaldehyde, p‑hydroxybenzoic acids (in P. ostreatus var. Florida)	Antioxidant, cytotoxic to cancer cells, radical scavenging	[3, 4, 6, 9]
Flavonoids	Quercetin‑3‑glucoside; other Pleurotus spp. show quercetin, rutin, naringenin, myricetin, catechin, etc.	Antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, antimicrobial	[3, 4, 6]
Polysaccharides	β‑glucans (1→3, 1→6), α‑glucans, chitin, hemicelluloses (mannans, galactans, xylans), glycoproteins	Immunomodulatory, anti‑tumor, hypolipidemic, prebiotic	[3, 4, 11, 12]
Proteins / peptides	Enzymes, lectins, ribonuclease‑like proteins; numerous proteins in Pleurotus proteomes	Antioxidant enzymes, immunomodulation, antiviral, antitumor (genus level)	[3, 5, 11]
Steroids	Ergosterol and several sterols detected in Pleurotus spp.	Vitamin D₂ precursor, membrane components	[2, 3, 7]
Fatty acids & lipids	Multiple fatty acids (C16–C18, unsaturated) identified in Pleurotus extracts	Energy, membrane lipids, some bioactive	[2, 3]
Vitamins	Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, ascorbic acid, ergosterol/vit. D₂, tocopherols in Pleurotus; vit. A, C, B‑complex, E quantified in P. florida	Antioxidant, metabolic support	[3, 7, 10]
Minerals	K, P, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, etc.	Nutritional/functional cofactors	[3, 4, 10]

Table 1. Main phytochemical classes reported for Pleurotus florida and close varieties.

Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds

• A methanolic extract of P. florida yielded a purified phenolic: 3‑methoxy‑4‑hydroxy cinnamic acid (PF5), characterized by TLC, GC‑MS and NMR. This molecule showed strong antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ ≈ 21.7 µg/mL; reducing power IC₅₀ ≈ 105 µg/mL) and cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells (CTC₅₀ ≈ 645 µg/mL) [9].

• A validated microwave‑assisted extraction with UPLC–PDA on diverse Pleurotus spp. found p‑coumaric acid, t‑cinnamic acid, p‑hydroxybenzaldehyde, p‑hydroxybenzoic, gallic and vanillic acids, and quercetin‑3‑glucoside, with P. ostreatus var. Florida having the highest p‑hydroxybenzaldehyde (≈200 µg/g DM)[6].

• At genus level, Pleurotus species contain gallic, protocatechuic, caffeic, chlorogenic, syringic, ferulic, cinnamic, p‑coumaric acids and flavonoids such as quercetin, rutin, naringenin, myricetin, catechin, resveratrol [3, 4]. These are very likely present in P. florida as a closely related taxon.

Polysaccharides and Glycoconjugates

• Pleurotus spp. fruiting bodies contain 50–60% carbohydrates (dry weight), much of it as β‑glucans, α‑glucans, chitin, hemicelluloses (mannans, galactans, xylans) and glycoproteins [4, 11].

• These polysaccharides and glycoproteins are linked to anti‑tumor, immunomodulatory, anti‑inflammatory, hypolipidemic and antidiabetic activities in Pleurotus spp. [2, 10, 11].

• Pharmaceutical/food chemistry reviews describe Pleurotus mycochemicals as including hemicelluloses, lipopolysaccharides, peptides, proteins, nucleosides and complex starches [1, 3].

Lipids, Steroids, and Fatty Acids

• A dereplication study on methanolic extracts of six Pleurotus species, including P. ostreatus var. Florida, identified at least eight fatty acids and seven steroids, confirming rich steroid and fatty‑acid families in this variety [1].

• Pleurotus is characterized by sterols (notably ergosterol) and various unsaturated fatty acids, which contribute to membrane structure and may have health effects [2, 3, 7].

Vitamins, Minerals, and Basic Biochemistry of P. florida

A specific biochemical analysis of dried P. florida fruiting bodies reported:

• Protein 42.98%, carbohydrate 11.34%, crude fibre 4.55%, fat 1.98%, ash 7.19% [10].

• High levels of vitamins: vitamin C 34.5 mg/g, vitamin A 24.6 mg/g, thiamine 1.56 mg/g, riboflavin 3.35 mg/g, niacin 8.43 mg/g, vitamin E 4.34 mg/g [10].

• Mineral analysis (AAS/flame photometry) confirmed multiple macro‑ and micro‑elements (K, P, etc.), in line with Pleurotus data showing high K, P, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn and Cu [4, 7, 10].

Antioxidant‑Related Enzymes and Phytochemicals

• ZnO‑nanoparticle biofortification in P. florida increased phenols, flavonoids, total antioxidants and activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, peroxidases) in fruiting body extracts [8].

• A broader Pleurotus review notes abundant polyphenols, terpenoids and other secondary metabolites contributing to antioxidant and antimicrobial effects [3, 7, 11].

References

1. Angelini, P., Pellegrino, R., Tirillini, B., Flores, G., Alabed, H., Ianni, F., Blasi, F., Cossignani, L., Venanzoni, R., Orlando, G., Menghini, L., & Ferrante, C. (2021). Metabolomic Profiling and Biological Activities of Pleurotus columbinus Quél. Cultivated on Different Agri-Food Byproducts. Antibiotics, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10101245.

2. Caldas, L., Zied, D., & Sartorelli, P. (2021). Dereplication of extracts from nutraceutical mushrooms pleurotus using molecular network approach.. Food chemistry, 370, 131019 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131019.

3. Cateni, F., Gargano, M., Procida, G., Venturella, G., Cirlincione, F., & Ferraro, V. (2021). Mycochemicals in wild and cultivated mushrooms: nutrition and health. Phytochemistry Reviews, 21, 339 - 383. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-021-09748-2.

4. Del Mar Torres-Martínez, B., Vargas-Sánchez, R., Torrescano-Urrutia, G., Esqueda, M., Rodríguez-Carpena, J., Fernández‐López, J., Pérez-Álvarez, J., & Sánchez-Escalante, A. (2022). Pleurotus Genus as a Potential Ingredient for Meat Products. Foods, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11060779.

5. Elhusseiny, S., El-Mahdy, T., Awad, M., Elleboudy, N., Farag, M., Yassein, M., & Aboshanab, K. (2021). Proteome Analysis and In Vitro Antiviral, Anticancer and Antioxidant Capacities of the Aqueous Extracts of Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus ostreatus Edible Mushrooms. Molecules, 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26154623.

6. Harun, M., Palma, M., & Setyaningsih, W. (2025). Development and Validation of Microwave-assisted Extraction for Phenolic Compound Profiling in Diverse Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) Sourced from Various Geographical Regions. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101754.

7. Kumar, K., Mehra, R., Guiné, R., Lima, M., Kumar, N., Kaushik, R., Ahmed, N., Yadav, A., & Kumar, H. (2021). Edible Mushrooms: A Comprehensive Review on Bioactive Compounds with Health Benefits and Processing Aspects. Foods, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10122996.

8. Leema, Garg S, Gupta D, Punetha H, Akhter F, Gangola S, Bhandari G, Mittal A and Siddiqui S (2025) Evaluation of biochemical, nutrient content and productivity of oyster mushrooms biofortified with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 9:1504781. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1504781/full

9. Menaga, D., Rahman, P., Rajakumar, S., & Ayyasamy, P. (2021). Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of A Novel Isomeric Molecule (PF5) Obtained from Methanolic Extract of Pleurotus florida Mushroom. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2021.04.008.

10. Priyadarshni, K., Krishnamoorthi, R., Mumtha, C., & Mahalingam, P. (2022). Biochemical analysis of cultivated mushroom, Pleurotus florida and Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial effects on clinically important human pathogens. Inorganic Chemistry Communications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inoche.2022.109673.

11. Sharma, A., Sharma, A., & Tripathi, A. (2021). Biological activities of Pleurotus spp. polysaccharides: A review.. Journal of food biochemistry, e13748 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13748.

12. Törős, G., El-Ramady, H., Prokisch, J., Velasco, F., Llanaj, X., Nguyen, D., & Peles, F. (2023). Modulation of the Gut Microbiota with Prebiotics and Antimicrobial Agents from Pleurotus ostreatus Mushroom. Foods, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12102010.