Nutrients in edible mushrooms: an inter-species comparative study

A comparative study on various components of nutritional interest, such as water, protein, total amino acids, ash and minerals, in mushrooms of differ ent species (Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus pulmunarius and Lentinula edodes) was carried out. Mushrooms were cultivated on the sam e compost (wheat straw added with 15% of sugar beet) and analysed immediate ly after harvest to avoid any interfering parameters. The limiting amino ac id was also evaluated and the relevant protein chemical score was calculate d. The moisture content of the edible mushrooms studied is high (ranging fr om 85.2 to 94.7%) and the ash contents range from 6.9 to 10.5% on a dry bas is. Potassium is the most abundant mineral element followed by magnesium. T otal nitrogen varies from 3.47 to 7.93% (dry basis), and P, ostreatus speci es has the largest variability among the samples analysed. The most abundan t amino acids in mushrooms, expressed as percentages of total amino acids, are glutamic acid (12.8-20.9%), aspartic acid (9.1-12.1%) and arginine (3.7 -11.7%), but in the analysed P. pulmunarius and L. entinus edodes a particu larly low percentage of arginine (3.7 and 5.7%) has been detected. The chem ical score generally ranges from 96 to 110%, the limiting amino acid being leucine or/and lysine. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.