Popular edible mushroom improves digestibility of indigestible fiber

African farmers seeking more affordable, locally available feedstuffs may wish to consider the increasingly popular — for human consumption — oyster mushroom, according to new research from North-West University in South Africa.

Researchers there had observed that livestock occasionally ate seed pods from the native camelthorn tree. But while a mature camelthorn tree can produce large quantities of these pods, the high fiber content and the presence of toxins mean they can't be used as livestock feed in large quantities, according to Phethile Emmelina Mabuza, a graduate student at North-West University and the lead author on the study.