Elemental composition of selected species of mushrooms based on a chemometric evaluation

Insights into chemical components, health-promoting effects, and processing impact of golden chanterelle mushroom Cantharellus cibarius

Cantharellus cibarius (CC) is a culinary mushroom with significant commercial potential due to its diverse components and bioactive functions. CC is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and aroma compounds while being low in fat and calories. Moreover, CC contains an abundance of bioactive substances including phenolic compounds, vitamin precursors, and indole derivatives. Numerous studies have claimed that CC has diverse functions such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunoregulation, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and prebiotic effects in in vivo or in vitro settings. In addition, a variety of thermal, physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods have been investigated for the processing and preservation of CC. Consequently, this study aims to present a comprehensive review of the chemical composition, health benefits, and processing techniques of CC. Furthermore, the issue of heavy metal accumulation in CC has been indicated and discussed. The study highlights the potential of CC as a functional food in the future while providing valuable insights for future research and identifying areas requiring further investigation.

Selected detrimental and essential elements in fruiting bodies of culinary and toxic medicinal macroscopic fungi growing in the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Republic

Selected wild-growing edible fungi (Boletus edulis, Neoboletus luridiformis, Cantharellus cibarius, Macrolepiota procera, Amanita rubescens, Russula virescens, Lycoperdon perlatum, and Flammulina velutipes) along with the poisonous medicinal species Amanita muscaria were collected from five sites in the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Republic and analyzed regarding the contents of 19 elements (Ag, Al, As, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Tl, and Zn) in their fruiting bodies. The contents of the elements as well as bioconcentration factors (ratios of the element content in dry matter of the mushroom to the content in the soil; BCF) were significantly species dependent. In general, the analysis revealed the most intensive accumulation of Cd, Rb, Ag, Cu, Se, and Zn in the studied mushrooms. B. edulis accumulated Ag, Se, Cd, Rb, Cu, and Zn with average BCF of 31, 25, 18, 13, 3.9, and 2.6, respectively. On the other hand, A. rubescens accumulated Cd, Rb, Ag, Cu, Zn, and As (BCF of 41, 27, 4.8, 3.3, 2.1, and 1.4). The data concerning the detrimental elements in sporocarps of edible mushrooms indicate no negative effect on human health if the fungi are consumed occasionally or as a delicacy.

Pleurotus extract-mediated selenium and zinc nanoparticles exhibited improved yield of biofortified fruit bodies

The current study was aimed for the generation of Pleurotus extracellular extract-mediated selenium and zinc-oxide nanoparticles (NPs). The Pleurotus djamor (PD) and Pleurotus sajor-caju (PSC) extracts were incubated with different concentrations of sodium selenate and zinc acetate to yield BioSeNPs and BioZnONPs. The NPs formation led to visual color change (brick-red and white for Se and Zn nanosols, respectively). The synthesized NPs were spherical with size of 124 and 68 nm and 84 and 91 nm for PD and PSC BioSeNPs and BioZnONPs respectively. The UV absorbance peaks were recorded at 293.2 and 292.2 nm and 365.9 and 325.5 nm for BioSeNPs and BioZnONPs derived from PD and PSC respectively. FT-IR spectroscopy indicated specific functional group adoration on metal-based NPs. On supplementation in straw, these NPs improved the fruit body yield besides enhancing their protein and Se/ Zn contents. These biofortified mushrooms could be potential dietary supplement/ nutraceutical.

Influence of the urban environment on four mushroom species in the light of their elemental composition

The mushrooms are living organisms with excellent capability to adapt to the multiple challenges of their environment. Several species are well represented in urban green areas (parks, green spots, and recreation grounds). We investigated the influence of the urban environment over two saprotrophic (Bovista plumbea, Lycoperdon perlatum) and two mycorrhizal (Amanita rubescens, Suillus granulatus) species commonly present in urban parks of Cluj-Napoca, a major city of Romania. Three control sites close to the city were chosen. We determined 19 elements (Ag, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S, Si, Sr, Ti, and Zn) in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms and in soils by ICP OES technique. S. granulatus was the most sensible species to the urban pollution; this species accumulated 130 and 4.40 mg kg^-1 (dry weight) median concentrations of Al and Ni, respectively. The highest concentration of Ag, Cu and Fe was determined in B. plumbea (3.18, 83.7 and 141 mg kg^-1, respectively) and L. perlatum (4.68, 91.0 and 125 kg^-1, respectively) collected from the city. The saprotrophic species contained appreciably higher concentrations of Ag, Cu, Fe, Mg, P, and S than the mycorrhizal ones. Common feature of all four species was the higher Ag and Sr concentrations in the fruiting bodies of urban origin. Our results suggest that the unique defence mechanisms of the species might have higher impact over the elemental profile of the mushrooms than the soil properties. We propose L. perlatum and S. granulatus as suitable indicator species of the urban pollution with regard to inorganic pollutants.

Essential Mineral Content (Fe, Mg, P, Mn, K, Ca, and Na) in Five Wild Edible Species of Lactarius Mushrooms from Southern Spain and Northern Morocco: Reference to Daily Intake

Mushroom consumption has increased in recent years due to their beneficial properties to the proper functioning of the body. Within this framework, the high potential of mushrooms as a source of essential elements has been reported. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the mineral content of seven essential metals, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, K, Ca, and Na, in twenty samples of mushrooms of the genus Lactarius collected from various locations in southern Spain and northern Morocco, by FAAS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and ICP-OES after acid digestion. Statistics showed that K was the macronutrient found at the highest levels in all mushrooms studied. ANOVA showed that there were statistically significant differences among the species for K, P, and Na. The multivariate study suggested that there were differences between the accumulation of the elements according to the geographic location and species. Furthermore, the intake of 300 g of fresh mushrooms of each sample covers a high percentage of the RDI, but does not meet the recommended daily intake (RDI) for any of the metals studied, except for Fe. Even considering these benefits, the consumption of mushrooms should be moderated due to the presence of toxic metals, which may pose health risks.

An overview on multi-elemental profile integrated with chemometrics for food quality assessment: toward new challenges

Food products, especially those with high value-added, are commonly subjected to strict quality controls, which are of paramount importance, especially for attesting to some peculiar features related, for instance, to their geographical origin and/or the know-how of their producers. However, the sophistication of fraudulent practices requires a continuous update of analytical platforms. Different analytical techniques have become extremely appealing since the instrumental analysis tools evolution has substantially improved the capability to reveal and understand the complexity of food. In light of this, multi-elemental composition has been successful implemented solving a plethora of food authentication and traceability issues. In the last decades, it has existed an ever-increasing trend in analysis based on spectrometry analytical platforms in order to obtain a multi-elemental profile that combined with chemometrics have been noteworthy analytical methodologies able to solve these problems. This review provides an overview of published reports in the last decade (from 2011 to 2021) on food authentication and quality control from their multi-element composition in order to evaluate the state-of-the-art of this field and to identify the main characteristics of applied analytical techniques and chemometric data treatments that have permit achieve accurate discrimination/classification models, highlighting the strengths and the weaknesses of these methodologies.

Distribution and Origin of Major, Trace and Rare Earth Elements in Wild Edible Mushrooms: Urban vs. Forest Areas

This paper investigates the composition of major, trace, and rare earth elements in 15 different species of wild edible mushrooms and the possible effect of urban pollution on elemental uptake. The collected mushrooms include different species from the green areas of the city, exposed to urban pollution, and from the forests, with limited anthropogenic influence. Through a comprehensive approach that included the analysis of 46 elements, an attempt was made to expand knowledge about element uptake by mushroom fruiting bodies. The results showed a wide variability in the composition of mushrooms, suggesting a number of factors influencing their element uptake capacity. The data obtained do not indicate significant exposure to anthropogenic influences, regardless of sampling location. While major elements’ levels appear to be influenced more by species-specific affinities, this is not true for trace elements, whose levels presumably reflect the geochemical characteristics of the sampling site. However, the risk assessment showed that consumption of excessive amounts of the mushrooms studied, both from urban areas and from forests, may have adverse health effects.

Detrimental and essential elements in fruiting bodies of mushrooms with ecological relationship to birch (Betula sp.) collected in the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Republic

Four macrofungi species with ecological relationship to birch (Betula sp.) were analyzed with regard to the content of 21 detrimental and essential elements in their fruiting bodies. Two of the species (Leccinum scabrum and Leccinum versipelle) were mycorrhizal forming edible fruiting bodies while the others (Fomitopsis betulina and Inonotus obliquus) parasitic used in alternative medicine. The samples were collected near the town of Vimperk in the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Republic. L. scabrum accumulated Ag, Rb, Cd, Cs, Se, Cu, and Zn with bioconcentration factors of 22, 5.5, 4.7, 3.2, 2.0, 1.7, and 1.4, respectively. Similar trend in bioconcentration was revealed for L. versipelle with bioconcentration factors of 28, 5.2, 2.4, 1.9, 1.6, and 1.6 determined for Ag, Rb, Cu, Se, Zn, and Cd, respectively. Considerably high contents of Ca (400 ± 190 mg kg^-1 dry matter), Fe (110 ± 30), Mg (1100 ± 300), and Zn (220 ± 90) were found in F. betulina. Similarly, high contents of Ca (1000 ± 700 mg kg^-1 dry matter), Fe (110 ± 30), Mg (2000 ± 1100), Mn (410 ± 270), Rb (160 ± 60), and Zn (140 ± 70) were determined for I. obliquus. The different lifestyles (mycorrhizal vs. parasitic) were reflected in 13 significant differences of element contents.

Application of Identification and Evaluation Techniques for Edible Mushrooms: A Review

Edible mushrooms are healthy food with high nutritional value, which is popular with consumers. With the increase of the problem of mushrooms being confused with the real and pollution in the market, people pay more and more attention to food safety. More than 167 articles of edible mushroom published in the past 20 years were reviewed in this paper. The analysis tools and data analysis methods of identification and quality evaluation of edible mushroom species, origin, mineral elements were reviewed. Five techniques for identification and evaluation of edible mushrooms were introduced and summarized. The macroscopic, microscopic and molecular identification techniques can be used to identify species. Chromatography, spectroscopy technology combined with chemometrics can be used for qualitative and quantitative study of mushroom and evaluation of mushroom quality. In addition, multiple supervised pattern-recognition techniques have good classification ability. Deep learning is more and more widely used in edible mushroom, which shows its advantages in image recognition and prediction. These techniques and analytical methods can provide strong support and guarantee for the identification and evaluation of mushroom, which is of great significance to the development and utilization of edible mushroom.

Distribution and bioconcentration of some elements in the edible mushroom Leccinum scabrum from locations in Poland

The element concentrations in the fruitbodies of Leccinum scabrum from two forested upland sites and one lowland site of different geochemical background were compared to topsoil concentrations. The aim of the study was to establish baseline concentration datasets, gain insight into the species' bioconcentration potential and to assess the impact of anthropogenic factors. The validated methods for analysis include inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (CV-AAS). Bioinclusion (bioconcentration factor > 1) by L. scabrum was observed for the elements Ag, Cd, Cu, K, Hg, Mn, Na, Mg, P, Rb, and Zn. In contrast, the elements Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, Ni, and Sr as well as the toxic Pb were bioexcluded. Among these elements, the toxic elements Cd and Pb are noteworthy regarding the aspect of human mushroom consumption. The medians of Cd in caps of L. scabrum from the upland sites were in the range of 5.6-6.6 mg kg^-1dm, with a maximum in an individual sample of 14 mg kg^-1dm, which is in the range of concentrations reported previously for polluted soils. Lead concentrations were much lower, with medians in the range of 0.79-1.3 mg kg^-1dm in caps and 0.48-0.59 mg kg^-1dm in stipes. Mineral contents of L. scabrum appear to be the result of a complex interaction of a species' characteristic physiology with local mineral soil geochemistry and with anthropogenic pollution factors.

Mushrooms-Rich Preparations on Wound Healing: From Nutritional to Medicinal Attributes

Mushrooms have a significant role in human diet as functional food and as a nutraceutical resource. The combination of its umami flavor, protein, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates has meant that mushrooms could be considered a cheap food source for a long time in many countries. Moreover, mushrooms contain an excellent variety of bioactive metabolites that can be successful in both prevention and treatment of various human health hazards. In addition, extracts from medicinal mushrooms and their metabolites have been verified for wound treating with contribution to different mechanisms of the healing process. This review summarizes the nutritional value and composition of mushrooms, ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology, and wound healing potential.

Metal concentration and health risk assessment of wild mushrooms collected from the Black Sea region of Turkey

Mushrooms are rich sources of organic nutrients (especially proteins). However, they can excessively accumulate metals in their fruiting bodies that pose a risk to human health. The aim of this study was the determination of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents, daily intake, and health risk index values of some mushroom species collected from the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey (Arsin, Trabzon). The samples were collected from hazelnut gardens that are free from industrial pollution and have a low population density. As a result of elemental analysis, it was determined that the concentration ranges of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the mushrooms were as follows: 0.29-9.11, 0.04-3.70, 0.01-8.29, 0.18-20.82, 3.1-79.8, 5.2-673.0, 14.9-752.0, 63.0-7769.0 mg/kg dry weight. Daily intakes of all the elements were found to be below the reference dose in Fistulina hepatica, Hydnum repandum, Macrolepiota procera, and Tapinella atrotomentosa. Amanita caesarea, Agrocybe praecox, Amanita vaginata, Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus cornucopioides, Daedalea quercina, Gymnopus dryophilus, Ganoderma lucidum, and Infundibulicybe gibba were found to have high risk index values especially with respect to Cd, Co, and Pb. According to Pearson correlation analysis, the correlations between Fe-Mn (0.840, p < 0.01) and Pb-Ni (0.7540, p < 0.01) couples are significant.

Metallic and metalloid elements in various developmental stages of Amanita muscaria (L.) Lam

There is growing evidence that mushrooms (fruiting bodies) can be suitable for biogeochemical prospecting for minerals and as indicators of heavy metal and radioactive contaminants in the terrestrial environment. Apart from the nutritional aspect, knowledge of accumulation dynamics and distribution of elements in fruiting bodies, from emergence to senescence, is essential as is standardization when choosing mushroom species as potential bioindicators and for monitoring purposes. We studied the effect of fruitbody developmental stage on the contents of the elements (Li, K, V, Cr, Mn, Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Ag, Al, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Pb, Tl and U) in the individual parts of the Amanita muscaria fruiting body. Elements such as K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn and Se remained similar throughout all developmental stages studied, however for K, differences occurred in the values of caps and stipes, as expressed by the cap to stipe concentration quotient (index Q_C/S). The other elements quantified, i.e., Li, V, Cr, As, Rb, Sr, Ag, Al, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, Pb, Tl and U are considered as nonessential or toxic (with the exception of V in A. muscaria). Their accumulation in the fruiting bodies and their distribution between cap and stipe did not show a uniform pattern. Pb, Sb, Tl, Ba, Sr, Li, Rb and Cs decreased with increasing maturity of the fruitbodies, implying that translocation, distribution and accumulation in stipes and caps was not a continuous process, while V, Cr, As, Ag, Cd, and U remained at the same concentration, similarly to the essential elements. Our results for A. muscaria confirm that elemental distribution in different parts of fruiting bodies is variable for each element and may change during maturation. Soil properties, species specificity and the pattern of fruitbody development may all contribute to the various types of elemental distribution and suggest that the results for one species in one location may have only limited potential for generalization.

Elemental composition of Russula cyanoxantha along an urbanization gradient in Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

How far-reaching is the influence of the urban area over the mineral composition of the Russula cyanoxantha mushroom? We studied the metal uptake behavior of this fungus relying on the soil properties. We sampled mushroom and soil from six forests according to an urbanization gradient, and two city parks in Cluj-Napoca (Romania). The elements were quantified using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The concentrations of some elements differed significantly (p < 0.05) in the samples from the city (0.39 ± 0.35 mg kg^-1 for cadmium (Cd), 0.40 ± 0.19 mg kg^-1 for chromium (Cr), 69.1 ± 29.9 mg kg^-1 for iron (Fe), 10.9 ± 1.3 mg kg^-1 for manganese (Mn), 0.76 ± 0.45 mg kg^-1 for titanium (Ti) compared with the samples from the forests (3.15-14.1 mg kg^-1 Cd, < 0.18 mg kg^-1 for Cr, 22.6-34.5 mg kg^-1 for Fe, 15.9-19.1 mg kg^-1 for Mn, 0.19-0.36 mg kg^-1 for Ti). We observed a definite negative trend in the mineral accumulation potential of this fungus along the urbanization gradient. The fungus turned from a cadmium-accumulator to a cadmium-excluder. This highlights a positive environmental influence of the urbanization over the toxic metal uptake of R. cyanoxantha. The hypothesis, that the urban soil pollution would increase the metal content of the mushroom was disproved. The possible explanation might be the elevated carbonate content of the urban soil, which is known to immobilize the metals in the soil.

Copper, Manganese, Selenium and Zinc in Wild-Growing Edible Mushrooms from the Eastern Territory of "Green Lungs of Poland": Nutritional and Toxicological Implications

The aims of this study were to determine Cu, Mn, Se, and Zn content in wild mushrooms collected from unpolluted areas of the eastern Green Lungs of Poland (GLP) territory, to compare them to some popular species of cultivated mushrooms, evaluate mushroom contribution to the daily intake of the studied bioelements, and to determine their possible toxic effect resulting from potentially excessive mushroom consumption from areas recognized as ecologically uncontaminated. Bioelements were determined in 21 species of edible mushrooms: eighteen species of wild mushrooms and three species of popular cultivated mushrooms. The mean Cu, Mn, Se, and Zn content (in µg/g, dry mass DM) ranged from 10.6–123.1, 12.2–41, 0.13–13.3, and 68.3–184, respectively. A comparison with recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Cu, Se, and Zn as well as adequate intake (AI) for Mn demonstrated that a 100 g fresh mass (FM) portion of mushroom species with the highest content of a given element can meet the demand for Cu, Mn, Se and Zn at 203%, 14–17%, 211%, and 16–22%, respectively. A comparison of the content of the examined bioelements contained in one portion of mushrooms (100 g FM) against the toxicological intake limits for different chemical elements with the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) and upper intake level (UL) showed no risk of toxicity for the evaluated mushroom species.