Wild Mushrooms: Characteristics, Nutrition, and Processing

Many wild varieties of mushrooms are consumed by people around the world, yet many species remain unexplored, their nutritional as well as pharmacological significance yet to be discovered for many of them. Wild Mushrooms: Characteristics, Nutrition, and Processing informs readers about different unexplored wild mushrooms, their methods of cultivation, nutritional values, pharmaceutical values, and possible utilization for human wellbeing.

The book represents a comprehensive assessement of current knowledge about the edible mushrooms commercialization, especially as nutraceuticals and dietary supplement formulation, mineral supplementation and source of quality proteins in foods and diet. The health benefits of edible mushrooms, nature and chemistry of bioactive components and in-vitro and in-vivo bioactivity of edible mushrooms are also highlighted in different chapters. By bringing diverse areas such as oxidative stress and longevity, techniques of mushroom analysis, toxicology and extracellular enzymes of wild mushrooms, it lays the groundwork for striking expansion in our understanding of these important biochemicals and their role in health and disease prevention.

• Explores major preservation and processing technologies for wild mushrooms and their effects on bioavailability and nutritional value of mushrooms
• Presents the classical taxonomy and genetic classification of mushrooms
• Discusses the different components present in mushrooms and their biological activities and the health attribute of mushrooms due to these bioactive components
• Reviews the applications of mushrooms in environmental pollution reduction
• Covers different cultivation strategies of edible and medicinal mushrooms

The book also explores the role of mushrooms in the degradation of harmful xenobiotic compounds as well as reduction of pesticides. It discusses the utilization of wild mushrooms in waste management and cultivation of wild mushroom using lignocellulosic biomass-based residue as a substrate. This book should be of interest to a large and varied audience of researchers in academia, industry, nutritionists, dietitian, food scientists, agriculturists and regulators.

Dr. Sanju Bala Dhull

Sanju Bala Dhull, Ph.D., is presently working as Associate Professor in Department of Food Science and Technology, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, having more than 14 years of teaching and research experience. Her area of interests includes synthesis and characterization of biomolecules, nanoparticles, nanoemulsions and antimicrobial activity of nanoformulations in food and characterization of biomolecules. She has published more than 40 research papers, 2 book and 15 book chapters in books of national and international repute. She presented more than 20 research paper in various national and international conferences. She is an active member of Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) and Association of Microbiologists of India. She also serves as reviewer of several national and international journals.

Dr. Bains is presently working as Assistant professor in Microbiology, (Department of Biotechnology), CT Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Campus, Jalandhar, Punjab. She is M.Sc. in Microbiology from Himachal Pradesh University and completed her Mphil, Ph.D. in Microbiology from Shoolini University, Solan. Her area of interest includes the extraction and identification of bioactive compounds from wild edible mushrooms and their biological activity. She has published 18 research and review articles and 4 international book chapters. She has research and teaching experience of eight years and has guided 7 master’s students. She is a reviewer of several national and international journals.

Dr. Prince Chawla

Dr. Chawla joined Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab as Assistant professor in Food Technology and Nutrition (School of Agriculture). Dr. Chawla is an alumnus of Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, and Shoolini University, Solan. Dr. Chawla has a chief interest in mineral fortification, functional foods, protein modification, and the detection of adulterants from foods using nanotechnology. He has worked in the ‘Department of Biotechnology’ and ‘Department of Science and Technology" funded research projects and has 8 years of research experience. He has 3 patents, 2 books, 44 international research papers, 7 international book chapters. Dr. Chawla is guiding 4 Ph.D. students and guided 11 M.Sc. students. He is a recognized reviewer of more than 30 international journals and reviewed several research and review articles.

Dr. Pardeep Kumar Sadh

Dr. Sadh is is currently working as Assistant Professor in Biotechnology, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana, India. He did his MSc, M.Phil, and Ph.D., from the Department of Biotechnology, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana, India. He has published more than 25 national and international research articles and 3 book chapters with international and national publishers. His area of interest for research includes protein engineering, structural analysis using various techniques, bioresource technology, functional foods, food biotechnology, and agricultural waste management. He was a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship during his Ph.D. from University Grant Commission under the Government of India. He has been awarded for best poster awards in various conferences and certificates of excellence for reviewing international reputed journals. He is the referee and recognized reviewer of several international and national journals.