Incorporation of cotton seed powder (3%) with rice straw substrate, while culturing Pleurotus florida, enhanced mushroom yield
and net protein yield. The free sugars and polymeric carbohydrates were 13.2% and 39.6% in mushrooms grown on rice straw (RS-M)
and 8.3% and 19.8% in the mushrooms grown on cotton seed-supplemented rice straw (CS-M). There was a significant decrease in
the total dietary fibre content due to cotton seed supplementation. There was a desired softening (45% reduction in firmness)
observed in the CS-M as measured on a Zenken texturometer. The free amino acids showed about 125% increase in the CS-M compared
to the RS-M. There was a significant increase in most of the essential amino acids, such as leucine, isoleucine, valine, cysteine,
methionine and phenylalanine. The total protein content (Kjeldahl N · 4.38) showed 90% increase in the CS-M. The total lipids
increased by 35% due to cotton seed supplementation of the rice straw substrate; there was a predominance of unsaturated fatty
acids, and linoleic acid in particular