Aqueous Extracts of Lemon Basil Straw as Chemical Stimulator for Gray Oyster Mushroom Cultivation.

To reduce the burning of lemon basil straw (LBS)-the byproduct of basil seed production-we propose utilizing LBS as a replacement substrate for mushroom cultivation. LBS can stimulate both mycelial growth and percentage biological efficiency; however, the rigidity of this material limits particle size reduction. In this work, aqueous extractions were facilely performed without using either hazardous chemicals or complex procedures to valorize LBS as a stimulator for gray oyster mushroom cultivation.