A RETROSPECTIVE UPDATE ON THE AURICULARIA SPECIES IN GHANA AND THEIR NUTRITIONAL, ETHNOMYCOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL VALUES FOR HEALTH

Abstract

The genus <i>Auricularia</i> contains mushrooms that are known for their edibility, ecological value; as decomposers and nutrient cycling. They also contain medically useful bioactive compounds; mostly polysaccharides with numerous pharmacological activities (antioxidant, anti-tumour, immunomodulatory, hypolipodemic, antidiabetic, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective etc.). They also contain nutritive compounds useful as nutraceuticals and are cultivated worldwide. We set out to update the collecting localities of <i>Auricularia</i> in Ghana with the view to extend the list of national occurrence. Field trips were made from August 2022 to July 2023 to Ashanti, Oti, Western North and Eastern Regions to record new localities of <i>Auricularia.</i>A desktop studycollated the nutritional, medicinal and other bioactive compounds resident in the mushroom to assess potential for economic exploitation for health delivery. Morphological, anatomical and other characteristics of the fruiting bodies were determined to authenticate the samples obtained. Auricularia cornea was recorded for the first time on cocoa tree (<i>Theobroma</i> <i>cacao</i>) and cassava (<i>Manihot</i> </i>esculenta</i> <i>L<i>) sticks in Adansi North (Ashanti Region), Bowiri Amanfro and Bowiri Kyiriahi (Oti Region); Baakokrom, Sefwi Bekwai in the Bibiani-Anwhiaso Bekwai Municipality (Western North Region) as well as the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana- New Tafo Akim (Eastern Region). There are seven Auricularia (<i>A.</i> <i>auricula-judae</i>, <i>A.</i> <i>delicata</i>, <i>A.</i> <i>fuscosuccinea</i>, <i>A.</i> <i>hunteri</i>, <i>A.</i> <i>mesenterica</i>, <i>A.</i> <i>polytricha</i> and <i>A.</i> <i>cornea</i>) in Ghana. The morphometric, anatomical and other physical characteristics agree with the reported data in the pertinent literature for A. cornea. The plethora of bioactive, nutritive and pharmacologically useful ingredients of the basidiomata makes the mushroom a potential source of economic value and gives credence to its exploitation for health delivery in our developing economy.