Effects of Conservation Treatment and Cooking on the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Portuguese Wild Edible Mushrooms

Abstract

The effects of processing and cooking practices on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Portuguese wild edible mushroom species (Lactarius deliciosus, Macrolepiota mastoidea, Macrolepiota procera, and Sarcodon imbricatus) were investigated. Dried, frozen, and cooked samples were analyzed for proximate constituents (moisture, fat, crude protein, ash, and carbohydrates) and nutritional value. Fatty acid and sugar profiles were also obtained by gas-liquid chromatography/flame ionization detection and high-performance liquid chromatography/refraction index, respectively. The antioxidant properties were evaluated by several biochemical assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity, reducing power, inhibition of beta-carotene bleaching, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in brain tissue using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Results of this study show that mushroom species and processing and cooking practices are all effective determinants for either chemical composition or antioxidant properties. Cooked samples proved to have lower nutrient concentrations and lower antioxidant activities than either dried or frozen samples. In what concerns fatty acids and sugar individual profiles, only cooking proved to be relevant: The cooked samples presented higher monounsaturated fatty acid and lower polyunsaturated fatty acid and sugars contents.

Effect of cooking and preservation on nutritional and phytochemical composition of the mushroom Amanita zambiana

“…According to Barros et al. (2007), dried samples of different mushroom species have lower total lipid composition than their corresponding fresh and frozen samples, similar to the trend found in this study. The decrease in the lipid content might be due to an increase in lipase activity and denaturation of the lipid fraction during the preservation treatment.…”

“…Greatest losses observed in the boiling treatment could be due to leaching out and denaturation of polyphenols. The decrease in total phenolics with cooking is similar to reports from other studies (Barros et al., 2007; Sun, Bai, & Zhuang,2012). …”

Antioxidants in Wild Mushrooms

“…Our research group [80] described that the amount of antioxidants in cooked samples of Lactarius deliciosus, Macrolepiota mastoidea, Macrolepiota procera and Sarcodon imbricatus significantly decreased. We explained that heat used in the cooking procedure could destroy the structures of polyphenols and cause a decrease in their antioxidant activity.…”

Evaluation of the potential use of probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v in lactic fermentation of button mushroom fruiting bodies

“…Heating during cooking can destroy the chemical structures of polyphenols and can cause a decrease in the antioxidant activities of mushrooms (Barros et al, 2007). In turn, the possible increase in these values observed in some fermented samples can be explained by enzymatic hydrolysis run by LAB enzymes, which may convert bound phenolic compounds to the free form, thereby increasing their extraction rate.…”