Mycelial fatty acid composition of Pleurotus spp. and its application in the intrageneric differentiation

The mycelial fatty acid profiles of several Pleurotus strains and their application in intrageneric differentiation were investigated. In the lipids produced by strains of Pleurotus abalonus, P. calyptratus, P. columbinus, P. cornucopiae, P. cystidiosus, P. ostreatus, P. pulmonarius, P. sajor-caju and P. sapidus, the predominant fatty acid was linoleic (33–68% total lipids), while in P. eryngii strains the major fatty acid was oleic (43–46%). In all strains studied, oleic and palmitic acids were present in significant concentrations (>12%), whereas stearic acid was found in lower ones. By using the ratios C18[ratio ]1/C18[ratio ]0, C18[ratio ]2/C18[ratio ]1 and ΣC18/C16[ratio ]0 as variables, Pleurotus strains were clustered into six groups. Group I (P. ostreatus); group II, divided in three sub-groups (IIa: P. columbinus, IIb: P. eryngii, IIc: P. cornucopiae), group III, divided in two sub-groups (IIIa: P. sajor-caju, IIIb: P. pulmonarius), group IV (P. sapidus), group V (P. abalonus) and group VI divided in two sub-groups (VIa: P. cystidiosus and VIb: P. calyptratus). It is concluded that the mycelial fatty acid composition of Pleurotus can be used in the intrageneric taxonomy of the genus.