Screening the Multi-Element Content of Pleurotus Mushroom Species Using inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES)

Abstract

Considering the worldwide popularity of cultivated Pleurotus mushrooms as food, analyses of their chemical composition are required to ensure product safety. The aim of this study was to compare the content of 62 elements in fruit bodies of six cultivated species of the genus Pleurotus (five strains of Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus djamor, Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Pleurotus florida, and Pleurotus pulmonarius), collected from their producers between 2009 and 2015. Only 31 elements (Al, As, B, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Er, Fe, In, K, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Nd, P, Pb, Pt, Re, Rh, Sc, Se, Sr, Te, Th, Ti, Tm, U, Zn, and Zr) were detectable in the tested Pleurotus species in each year of their collection. The obtained results revealed three significantly diverse groups with similar abilities to accumulate 31 elements within 7 years of mushroom production. The species and strains were grouped as follows: P. florida and P. pulmonarius (first group); P. ostreatus HK35, P. ostreatus 930, P. eryngii, and P. djamor (second group); and P. ostreatus 80, P. ostreatus H195, P. ostreatus K22, and P. citrinopileatus (third group). In spite of differences between the tested Pleurotus species and strains, presented in the form of graphical Heatmaps, the intake of these mushrooms was not related with any health risk for consumers.

A screening study of elemental composition in 12 marketable mushroom species accessible in Poland

“…Our previous screening of 20 wild-edible species (including G. frondosa and F. velutipes, whose specimen from cultivation were tested in the present study) revealed generally low content of PGEs which for Pt, Rh and Os was in range of 0.01-0.03 mg kg −1 dw [22]. The present study observed levels higher by orders of magnitude but in line with our previous findings in different cultivated mushrooms from the Pleurotus genus [46]. The general mean content of PGEs in the present study decreased in the following order: Pt > Rh > Os.…”

“…Despite this, toxicological investigations on REE-related adverse effects to human health are still scarce, and not much is known as to their presence in mushrooms. Recently, some studies have reported the presence of REEs in wild-edible species [22], and our previous studies have described their content in cultivated mushrooms from the Pleurotus genus [46]. In the present study, each sample contained detectable levels of five REEs whose mean content generally decreased in the following order: Pr > Nd > Ho > La > Gd.…”

“…The present study found distinctively different mean As levels for the investigated mushrooms species ranging from 0.001 mg kg −1 dm (C. comatus, H. erinaceus and T. versicolor) to over 1.0 mg kg −1 dm (F. velutipes and T. fuciformis). Similar or higher levels of As have been found in commercial mushrooms from cultivation [23,46], as well as other food products and dietary supplements [66]. As toxicity largely depends on its form (with inorganic compounds being more toxic than organic) and the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of total As was set at 15 µg kg −1 body weight (later withdrawn with no new PTWI set) [67,68].…”

“…As far as the European market is concerned, the only multi-elemental and longterm investigations were conducted for mushroom species of the genus Pleurotus cultivated in Poland [46]. The study described inter-specific differences in element accumulation and concluded that levels of most toxic elements were low, apart from Pb and Nd contents, which in particular cases were of some concern [46].…”

Rare-earth elements in human colostrum milk

“…Diet may constitute an important route of human exposure to REEs. Various food products, including vegetables and mushrooms were found to contain REEs at a total content tending to exceed 0.7 mg kg −1 fresh weight Siwulski et al 2017;Rzymski et al 2017b;Zhuang et al 2017) which is the maximum threshold set in China, the only country yet to regulate REEs in foodstuffs (SAC 2012).…”