FLAVOR COMPOUNDS IN STRAW MUSHROOMS VOLVARIELLA-VOLVACEA HARVESTED ATDIFFERENT STAGES OF MATURITY

Straw mushrooms were harvested at different stages of maturity. The vo latile flavor compounds found in straw mushrooms were limonene, octa-1 ,5-dien-3-ol, 3-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-octanol, and 2-octen-1-ol, in which the major compound was 1-octen-3-ol, accounting for 71.6-83.1% of the total volatiles. More mature straw mushrooms possessed the most aroma. Straw mushrooms were high in trehalose (349.0-457.6 mg/g dry w eight) and low in mannitol (0-25.5 mg/g). During the development of fr uiting bodies, the contents of total free amino acids and monosodium g lutamate components, including aspartic and glutamic acids, increased remarkably from 36.11 and 11.20 mg/g dry weight at stage 1 to 60.18 an d 26.21 mg/g at stage 5, respectively, in which glutamic acid was the most significant, increasing from 7.72 at stage 1 to 21.00 mg/g dry we ight at stage 5. The content of total 5'-nucleotides and flavor 5'-nuc leotides (5'-IMP and 5'-GMP) accumulated steadily with maturation. In this study, more flavor compounds, including both aroma and taste comp ounds, occurred in straw mushrooms harvested at stages 4 and 5 (stipe elongated and cap opened).