Cyclocybe aegerita (syn. Agrocybe aegerita)-Black poplar mushroom: Cultivation biology, nutritional profiling and bioactive potential for sustainable commercial production

Cyclocybe aegerita (V. Brig.) Vizzini, previously reported as Agrocybe aegerita and Agrocybe cylindracea is an edible and medicinal mushroom species with high farming potential, nutritional and bioactive value, with the emergence of several works on its production, cultivation and nutritional benefits. This review highlights its taxonomy, cultivation needs, substrates, nutrient composition and its key bioactive compounds as well as reported nutraceutical and pharmaceutical properties. Based on the literature reviewed, mycelial growth was found to be best at pH 5.5–7.0 and 25–28 °C, while the initiation and fruiting of primordia appear to be best at lower temperatures of 15–20 °C and under high relative humidity levels with controlled light and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Typical values of biological efficiency are 32–68 %, whileoptimised strain-substrate combinations are greater than 100 % and up to 179–194 % in some studies. Based on the nutritional studies carried out, the mushroom is a source of protein, dietary fibre, minerals, phenolics, unsaturated fatty acids and the identified bio actives in the mushroom are polysaccharides, lectins, terpenoids, steroids, peptides, ergosterol derivatives, ergothioneine and glutathione. Activities that have been reported through experimentation consist of antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-tumour, anti-microbial, anti-quorum sensing, anti-biofilm and immunomodulatory, with most of the pharmacological evidence being pre-clinical. The integration of cultivation and bioactivity data allows the identification of the most suitable production conditions, the identification of points of consensus and divergencein the literature and the identification of priorities for future improvements of strains, substrates and for the translation of bioactive compounds.