Kerala college students cultivate rare pink oyster mushrooms with anti-cancer properties

The students of botany at St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, in Kerala's Kottayam have turned into successful entrepreneurs who grow healthy food options. They are growing mushrooms with medicinal properties, and are also making a decent outcome from the initiative. The department that started mushroom farming with just 15 buds now grows 94 buds. It was their teacher, Dr Soumya, who introduced the idea in 2023. 

Pink mushroom for fighting cancer
Pink oyster mushrooms, also known as 'Pleurotus Djamor,' get their bright pink colour from the pigment anthocyanin. These mushrooms have medicinal value and are nutrient-dense. Besides, pink oyster mushrooms are storehouses of antioxidants and can be enjoyed by diabetic patients too. A compound called lovastatin in pink oysters can effectively fight against cholesterol and prevent the growth of microorganisms, too. According to the National Institutes of Health, it also has anti-cancer properties. 

'Devshroom,' the brand
Two varieties of nutrient-rich oyster mushrooms - pink and white -  are grown at the college. A box of 100 grams of oyster mushrooms costs Rs 40. Interestingly, their brand is called Devshroom, a portmanteau of St. Joseph’s College, popularly known as Devagiri College, and mushroom.