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E. A. Adebayo et al.
From time immemorial, mushrooms are considered as just food and now due to
availability of various nutraceuticals, mushrooms are recognized as healthy foods
globally. They are of good taste and of high nutritional value (Adebayo et al. 2014a).
They are abundant source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides and essential amino acids (Adebayo et al. 2014b; Adeeyo et al. 2016; Adebayo and Oloke 2017;
Bamigboye et al. 2019) with low fat and calories (Valverde et al. 2015). Pleurotus
species are high in proteins with about 5–49% of their dry weight being protein as
well as rich in carbohydrates, vitamin, dietary fibres and important minerals like
iron and potassium among others (Valverde et al. 2015; Adebayo and Oloke 2017).
In general, edible mushroom species contain about 88–90% water, 4–9% carbohydrates, 0–3% fat, 1–2% ash (bromine, calcium, copper, manganese, iron, phosphorus,
zinc, sodium and chlorine), vitamin A, vitamin B complexes of B5 (nicotinic acid),
B1 (thiamine), B3 (pantetonic acid) and B2 (riboflavin) (Ndaw et al. 2000). Furthermore, mushrooms are rich in vitamins C and D. Due to the abundance of vitamins,
mushrooms are reportedly good for man’s nervous system.
Generally, mushrooms are important in alternative medicine and bioenhancement of synthetic drugs (Tabbouche et al. 2017; Yilmaz et al. 2016). Mushroom
contains secondary metabolites which include polyketides, steroids, terpenes and
phenolic compounds (Adebayo et al. 2012a). These secondary metabolites are
distinguished by their medical properties and as well serve as antioxidant defence
mechanisms of biological systems (Bal et al. 2017). Mushrooms are good natural
sources of antioxidant compounds (Akgul et al. 2017; Adebayo et al. 2018). Previous
studies had reported diverse species of mushrooms with medicinal values such as
anti-carcinogenic (Vetchinkina et al. 2016), antimicrobial (Adebayo et al. 2014b),
immunosuppressive (Oloke and Adebayo 2015), anti-inflammatory (Adebayo et al.
2012b), cytotoxic, cytostatic (Gurunathan et al. 2013), hypoglycemic (Mohanta et al.
2018) and antioxidant properties (Sevindik et al. 2017; Adebayo et al. 2018; Sevindik
et al. 2018). Consequent upon these, mushrooms have been applied for different
purposes by man for decades, and this has necessitated its exploration as natural
resource in nanobiotechnology.
2 Nanotechnology and Nanobiotechnology
Nanotechnology entails designing, creating, developing and applying materials and
devices on the scale of nanometre (nm) with 1 nm equivalent to a metre’s one
billionth or about the width of six atoms of carbon or ten molecules of water (Emerich
and Thanos 2003; Sahoo and Labhasetwar 2003). Lately, nanomaterials are greatly
applied in health care, electronics, cosmetics and other areas of research. On the
other hand, nanobiotechnology is the interesting combination of nanotechnology
and biotechnology which ensures that technology on nanoscale can be realistically
amalgamated with the biology of molecules. Interestingly, machines of molecular
or atomic concern are established through copying or fusing systems of diverse
biology or simply by constructing minute tools for analysing or modifying different
E. A. Adebayo et al.
From time immemorial, mushrooms are considered as just food and now due to
availability of various nutraceuticals, mushrooms are recognized as healthy foods
globally. They are of good taste and of high nutritional value (Adebayo et al. 2014a).
They are abundant source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides and essential amino acids (Adebayo et al. 2014b; Adeeyo et al. 2016; Adebayo and Oloke 2017;
Bamigboye et al. 2019) with low fat and calories (Valverde et al. 2015). Pleurotus
species are high in proteins with about 5–49% of their dry weight being protein as
well as rich in carbohydrates, vitamin, dietary fibres and important minerals like
iron and potassium among others (Valverde et al. 2015; Adebayo and Oloke 2017).
In general, edible mushroom species contain about 88–90% water, 4–9% carbohydrates, 0–3% fat, 1–2% ash (bromine, calcium, copper, manganese, iron, phosphorus,
zinc, sodium and chlorine), vitamin A, vitamin B complexes of B5 (nicotinic acid),
B1 (thiamine), B3 (pantetonic acid) and B2 (riboflavin) (Ndaw et al. 2000). Furthermore, mushrooms are rich in vitamins C and D. Due to the abundance of vitamins,
mushrooms are reportedly good for man’s nervous system.
Generally, mushrooms are important in alternative medicine and bioenhancement of synthetic drugs (Tabbouche et al. 2017; Yilmaz et al. 2016). Mushroom
contains secondary metabolites which include polyketides, steroids, terpenes and
phenolic compounds (Adebayo et al. 2012a). These secondary metabolites are
distinguished by their medical properties and as well serve as antioxidant defence
mechanisms of biological systems (Bal et al. 2017). Mushrooms are good natural
sources of antioxidant compounds (Akgul et al. 2017; Adebayo et al. 2018). Previous
studies had reported diverse species of mushrooms with medicinal values such as
anti-carcinogenic (Vetchinkina et al. 2016), antimicrobial (Adebayo et al. 2014b),
immunosuppressive (Oloke and Adebayo 2015), anti-inflammatory (Adebayo et al.
2012b), cytotoxic, cytostatic (Gurunathan et al. 2013), hypoglycemic (Mohanta et al.
2018) and antioxidant properties (Sevindik et al. 2017; Adebayo et al. 2018; Sevindik
et al. 2018). Consequent upon these, mushrooms have been applied for different
purposes by man for decades, and this has necessitated its exploration as natural
resource in nanobiotechnology.
2 Nanotechnology and Nanobiotechnology
Nanotechnology entails designing, creating, developing and applying materials and
devices on the scale of nanometre (nm) with 1 nm equivalent to a metre’s one
billionth or about the width of six atoms of carbon or ten molecules of water (Emerich
and Thanos 2003; Sahoo and Labhasetwar 2003). Lately, nanomaterials are greatly
applied in health care, electronics, cosmetics and other areas of research. On the
other hand, nanobiotechnology is the interesting combination of nanotechnology
and biotechnology which ensures that technology on nanoscale can be realistically
amalgamated with the biology of molecules. Interestingly, machines of molecular
or atomic concern are established through copying or fusing systems of diverse
biology or simply by constructing minute tools for analysing or modifying different