This study addresses issues regarding chemical and bioactive properties of nine wild edible mushrooms from native Nothofagus forest from Patagonia, Argentina. Macronutrients, sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols, organic acids, phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties were determined. Protein was found in high levels and varied between 3.35 g/100 g dw in Cyttaria hariotii and 22.29 g/100 g dw in Lepista nuda. All of them presented mannitol and trehalose as main sugars. Mannitol was significantly higher in Ramaria patagonica, although absent in Fistulina endoxantha, whereas trehalose predominated in Aleurodiscus vitellinus, Hydropus dusenii, Cortinarius magellanicus, C. hariotii, Grifola gargal and L. nuda, ranging from 1.15 to 10.26 g/100 g dw; it was absent in R. patagonica. The major fatty acid found was linoleic acid, followed by oleic acid and palmitic acid. All species presented oxalic and fumaric acids, while some also had malic, quinic and citric acids. Tocopherols composition was variable. Cortinarius magellanicus presented significantly higher contents of both α-tocopherol and β-tocopherol. R. patagonica presented the best results in all the antioxidant activity assays (EC 50 values ≤ 1 mg/mL) and the highest content of phenolic compounds presenting gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric and cinnamic acids. This study constitutes the first report on chemical composition and nutritional value of most of these edible mushroom species. Furthermore, it provides important information necessary to characterize and define the use of these species as gastronomic delicacies, functional foods and sources of bioactive compounds.

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El consumo de hongos silvestres comestibles (HSC) es una práctica que se remonta a los albores de la civilización, y se ha desarrollado y mantenido en países de distintas partes del mundo, destacándose China, Japón, Estados Unidos, España e Italia, entre otros (Wang, 1987;Boa, 2004). En Latinoamérica, México y en menor medida Guatemala y Honduras, poseen un arraigado conocimiento micológico (Ruán-Soto et al., 2004), y la gran riqueza de especies presentes se ha incorporado en múltiples actividades como la cocina, la medicina tradicional y,

La región oeste de Patagonia Argentina posee una extensa faja de bosque nativo dominado por Nothofagus spp., que alberga numerosas especies de hongos, algunas de ellas comestibles aunque muy poco conocidas. Hacia el este, en la zona de ecotono bosque-estepa patagónica, se han establecido plantaciones de coníferas exóticas donde también fructifican especies de hongos comestibles. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar las especies de hongos comestibles de estos dos ambientes en Patagonia, y los avances realizados en su estudio