INTRODUCTION
Mushrooms are being recognized as important food items from ancient times. Their usage
is being increased day by day for their significant role in human health, nutrition and
disease. Although the history of mushroom cultivation is very recent in Bangladesh, its
consumption is increasing rapidly in this country. Mushrooms of Pleurotus sp. are
commonly called ‘oyster mushrooms’. They are the second most popular mushrooms
after button mushroom all over the world (Adejoye et al., 2006) and the most popular in
Bangladesh. Oyster mushrooms grow over a wide range of temperature of 15-300 C and
hence are ideally suitable for cultivation under both temperate and tropical climatic
conditions. In Bangladesh, oyster mushrooms are cultivated and harvested all over the
year (Amin et al., 2007). These mushrooms are the most prospective mushrooms of
Bangladesh.