Description
Recent research data have suggested the high therapeutical potential of gut microbiota modulation in numerous diseases. Nowadays, faecal transplantation, probiotics and prebiotics supplementation are strategies extensively used in the treatment of several disorders [1]. Prebiotic rich-foods play an important role in gut microbiota modulation. Beyond the rich nutritional value and various biological properties of mushrooms, several species have been described as prebiotics [2]. Prebiotics are defined as “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit” [3]. Mushrooms also possess several health benefits such as antitumor, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective. This fact results in an increasing interest in identifying mushroom species and their bioactive molecules. Most research works focus on testing extracts or isolated compounds but a positive synergistic effect between molecules present in mushroom biomass has also been proposed [2]. In the present work, the mushroom biomass of Coriolus versicolor (CV), Hericium erinaceus (HE) and Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) species were chemically characterized and their main bioactive groups were identified and quantified towards the understanding of their biological potential.The centesimal characterization of mushroom biomass showed that the carbohydrate, protein, fat and ashes content ranged between 84-90, 4-6, 0.7-1.8 and 1-1.5% on a fresh weight basis, respectively. Regarding the glucans content, α-glucans were the most prevalent group varying from 71 to 78% on dry matter (DM). Although the information on α-glucans is scarcer than that for β-glucans, several studies have suggested their prebiotic potential [2]. The molecular weight distribution suggested the presence of polysaccharides from 6 to 642 kDa. The free sugars were also monitored, corroborating that these are only a small fraction of total carbohydrates. Additionally, the total (TAA) and free amino acids (FAA) were also identified and quantified. The FAA were considerably high in CV, while the TAA were similar in the three species. The most incident amino acids in all species were glutamic and aspartic acids, arginine, alanine and leucine, playing important roles in human health. All species also possess an interesting mineral profile, they are good sources of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and potassium (with concentrations ranging between 14 and 411 mg/ 100 g DM), which also possess key biological properties. Concerning the fatty acid (FA) profile, the results indicated a higher concentration of unsaturated FA than saturated FA in all species. Importantly, HE showed a significantly higher concentration of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA such as oleic, linoleic and α-linolenic acids (varying from 17 and 862 mg/ 100 g DM). Furthermore, ergosterol concentration (an important bioactive molecule) was evaluated, indicating that CV showed a higher concentration, with approximately 9 mg/ 100 g DM. Concerning tocopherol content, α- and γ-tocopherol isomers were more incident in all species, with higher prevalence in HE (around 411 and 312 µg 100 g/ DM, respectively). Finally, the total antioxidant activity (TA) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were also evaluated in the bound (BF) and free (FF) phenolics fraction. The results suggested that CV showed a higher concentration of TPC by the Follin method and TA by the 4 methods tested in the FF fraction. For BF, the TPC and TA were more similar in all species under study.
In future work, the influence of the gastrointestinal tract on bioactive compounds present in the mushroom biomass and their impact on the gut microbial population dynamics will be assessed to understand their prebiotic and biological properties.
| Period | 16 Jun 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | XXII EuroFoodChem Concress: XXII Congress, European Food Chemistry |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Belgrade, SerbiaShow on map |