Feeding of Pleurotus sapidus fruiting bodies in broilers
Biomass from cultivated edible fungi, also referred to as mushrooms, such as Pleurotus spp., might be a suitable feed for broilers due to the ability of these fungi to efficiently convert low-value lignocellulosic sidestreams from agri-industrial and wood processing into high-value mycelial biomass, which can be used as feed. While edible mushrooms have a long history as a tasty and healthy food for humans, the potential of mushrooms (fruiting bodies), fungal mycelia and by-products from mushroom production (stem residues, spent mushroom substrate) as feed component for poultry is less acknowledged. In view of this, the present study aimed to comprehensively study the effect of feeding fruiting bodies of Pleurotus sapidus on performance, ileal nutrient digestibility, microbiota composition and integrity of the cecum, liver transcriptome and expression of genes involved in protein turnover in breast muscle.