The aim of this study was to investigate the production profile of Pleurotus albidus and Pycnoporus sanguineus on different waste substrates containing natural phenolics, and also to investigate whether phenolic-rich substrates can improve the phenolic content of these macrofungi. The medium formulated with Pinus sp. sawdust (PSW) made possible the highest yields (2.62 +/- 0.73%) of P. sanguineus. However, the supplementation of PSW with apple waste (AW) resulted in better P. albidus yields (23.94 +/- 2.92%). The results indicated that the substrate composition affected macrofungi production, also the chemical composition and the presence of phenolic compounds in the production media influence phenolic content and antioxidant activity in macrofungi. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.