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Ethnomycology and Usage of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms Among the Igbo People of Nigeria

2003; Begell House; Volume: 5; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1615/interjmedicmush.v5.i3.100

1521-9437

Emmanuel Oluwadare Akpaja, J. A. Okhuoya, Omoanghe S. Isikhuemhen,

Fungal Biology and Applications

This study revealed that the Igbo people, residing in the southeastern part of Nigeria, use mushrooms for food and medicine. On the average, each respondent consumes 8.64 ± 3.70 species of mushrooms. Over 95% of the respondents consume edible mushrooms because of taste, 86% use them as substitute for meat and fish, while 36.36% use some mushrooms for medicinal purposes. Pleurotus tuberregium, Termitomyces robustus, and Daldinia concentrica are used in ethnomedicine among the Igbos. The study also revealed that mushroom hunting and eventual sales are status and gender-related issues, being generally regarded as work for women and children.