Pleurotus sapidus

Pileus: 5 — 20+ cm, convex, becoming broadly convex to flat Gills: Whitish; decurrent if stipe is present; small beetles may be present Spore print: White, greyish, or lilac Stipe: If present, short and offset from the center of the cap; bald Microscopic features: Spores white to lavender-gray when dense, more or less cylindrical, 7.5–11 × 3–4 μm. Odour: Pleasant, like anise

Pleurotus pulmonarius is widespread in temperate and subtropical forests throughout the world. In the eastern United States, this species is generally found on hardwoods while in the west it can also be found on conifers.

This species is edible and is thus commercially cultivated. Pleurotus pulmonarius is a commonly cultivated oyster mushroom species in Europe and North America. Pleurotus pulmonarius is commercially cultivated in New Zealand, sold as "Oyster mushrooms". The archetypal oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, cannot be imported into New Zealand due to perceived risks to its forestry industry. The cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius is very similar to how one would cultivate other types of Pleurotus species, like P. ostreatus, by transferring mycelium from a petri plate onto grain and then transferring the resulting "grain spawn" after the mycelium colonizes it to substrates of straw, wood chips, sawdust, cardboard, coffee grounds, and other cellulose-based substrates.

Several studies done on animals and in vitro suggest P. pulmonarius and its extracts may have medicinal applications for a wide range of conditions. A polysaccharide called β-D-Glucan from P. pulmonarius reduces sensitivity to pain in mice and could be an "attractive" basis for new analgesic medications. In a different study on mice, a glucan from P. pulmonarius showed potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. A methanol extract of P. pulmonarius displayed anti-inflammatory and antitumor activity comparable to the standard reference drugs diclofenac and cisplatin, respectively. A 2010 study concluded that extracts of P. pulmonarius may slow the proliferation of cancer cells with high galectin-3 levels, while at the same time downregulate tumour cell adherence – which is directly related to the progression and spread of cancer. Extracts of P. pulmonarius added to the diet of mice delayed carcinogenesis, suggesting that these extracts may be useful as an adjuvant to cancer therapies. An orally administered hot water extract of P. pulmonarius had a significant antihyperglycemic effect, halted the progression of diabetes, and reduced the mortality of alloxan induced diabetic mice by approximately 50%. It showed a synergistic effect with the antidiabetic drug glibenclamide, supporting the possibility of effective combination therapy of glibenclamide and P. …