Edible mushrooms: a potential source of essential amino acids, glucans and minerals

The main chemical and biochemical constituents of nine edible mushrooms were evaluated in this study. An enzymatic method was used to determine the alpha-and beta-glucan contents, and the amino acid (AA) profiles were evaluated by RP-HPLC-DAD. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of the nutrients was evaluated. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to group the mushrooms according to their AA, glucans and chemical composition. All mushrooms evaluated can be considered as a potential and alternative source of dietary fibre (24.4-46.62%) and protein (16.47-36.96%) in a diet, with low contents of fat (1.40-2.08%). Phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper and zinc were the main minerals found in the mushrooms, whereas sodium concentration was negligible. All essential AA were detected in the mushrooms, with Pleurotus ostreatus (black oyster) representing the main source of essential amino acids among the samples. The contents of beta-glucan ranged from 1.58 to 16.91 mg g(-1) of dry matter among the mushrooms and Pleurotus eryngii presented the highest amount of this component. Pleurotus ostreatus (black oyster) and P. eryngii were also grouped together due to similarities in their phosphorous and arginine contents. Among the main results, it can highlight the high concentration of dietary fibre and essential amino acids of the edible mushrooms.