Nutritional value and antioxidant properties of most widely consumed cultivated mushrooms in South East Nigeria

Mushroom contain a multitude of bioactive compound with nutritional value. Among the bioactive molecules, phenolic compounds are the most responsible for their antioxidant activity. In the present work Pleurotus tuber-regium, Auricularia auricula-judae and Lentinus squarrosulus, three edible mushroom species collected from Nigeria, were analyzed for their Nutritional value and antioxidant activity. For macroelement Ca has the highest value 101 (mg/kg), Mg has 45.28 (mg/kg) in A. auricula and Na lowest with 1.20 (mg/kg) in P. tuber-regium while microelement Zn has 43.56 (mg/kg) in P. tuber-regium and Mn has 0.06 (mh/kg) in L.squarrosulus. Glycosides and Anthraquinones were not present in the three samples and Alkaloids not present in P. tuber-regium. Carbohydrates were the most abundant macronutrients, followed by proteins and ash. Fructose, mannitol and trehalose were the prevalent sugars, but glucose was only found in P.tuber-regium. Unsaturated fatty acids predominated over  saturated fatty acids. Palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids were abundant in the three samples. Oxalic and fumaric acids were quantified in the three samples; quinic acid was only present in L. squarrosulus, and malic and citric acids were only found in A. auricula. p-Hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic and cinnamic acids were quantified in all the species, while p-coumaric acid was only found in P. tuber-regium,. This species and A. auricula revealed the highest antioxidant properties, being L. squarrosulus more effective in radicals scavenging activity and reducing power, and A. auricula-judae in lipid peroxidation inhibition, which is related with the highest amounts in phenolic compounds, respectively.

Cited this as - Ukaogo O.P., Siddhant, Nnorom I.C., Ogbonna N.C. and Onyema C.T. (2017): Nutritional value and antioxidant properties of most widely consumed cultivated mushrooms in South East Nigeria. The Future Scientist Symposium 2017. Organized by  Lodoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria; May 29-31, 2017. p.54.