Mushrooms Characterization

What is it about?

Mushrooms are nowadays recognized as a good source of proteins, essential amino acids, fibers, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and their consumption becoming increasingly important. Among the essential minerals (iron, potassium, copper and phosphorus) known in the mushroom composition, the most significant is selenium, which is not found in too many fruits or vegetables. Mushrooms are important in the ecosystem, being able to biodegrade the substrate and therefore use the wastes of agricultural production. Some cultivated or wild edible species attracted research attention due to bioaccumulation potential of heavy metals, so food safety issues need to be addressed on a priority basis. By another hand, some mushrooms could be effective in promoting the bioremediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals.

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Why is it important?

Related to the authors’ previous studies, the novelty of this paper consists in deepening research towards the complete characterization of the regional mushroom species through emphasizing their potential as food resources. Only few data can be found related to the antioxidant potential of autochthonous mushrooms’ species from Dambovita Region, Romania, although it is recognized as a representative area, especially for wild species, due to its geographical feature, consisting in existence of ancient forestry. In the context in which species showed their content in biological active compounds, future practical applications in the area of functional food will be developed by integrating the data concerning their lack of the toxicity and nutritional value too. The statistical analysis of data highlights the relationship between compounds showing antioxidant activity of autochthonous mushrooms (both cap and stipe).

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