Abstract: Portobello variety of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, appreciated for its taste, makes it desirable to be eaten fresh and also as flour in soups and gravies. Gamma and electron-beam radiation at four doses (1, 2, 5, and 10 kGy) were used to analyze its preservation effect on Portobello mushroom flour. A proximate analysis, as well as the impact on fatty acids, tocopherols, soluble sugars, organic acids, and ergosterol profiles, were performed every 3 months, during a storage period of 1 year. Gamma rays preserved mannitol (most abundant soluble sugar) over the 12 months, while electron beam radiation preserved organic acids. No significant changes were sought for any radiation type, and the slight changes extracted from the estimated marginal means reveal a tendency for irradiation as having preserving effects of nutrients and other important molecules. Thus, both irradiation types, up to 10 kGy are suitable for preservation of A. bisporus Portobello flour.
Portobello variety of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms, appreciated for its taste, makes it desirable to be eaten fresh and also as flour in soups and gravies. Gamma and electron-beam radiation at four doses (1, 2, 5, and 10 kGy) were used to analyze its preservation effect on Portobello mushroom flour. A proximate analysis, as well as the impact on fatty acids, tocopherols, soluble sugars, organic acids, and ergosterol profiles, were performed every 3 months, during a storage period of 1 year. Gamma rays preserved mannitol (most abundant soluble sugar) over the 12 months, while electron beam radiation preserved organic acids. No significant changes were sought for any radiation type, and the slight changes extracted from the estimated marginal means reveal a tendency for irradiation as having preserving effects of nutrients and other important molecules. Thus, both irradiation types, up to 10 kGy are suitable for preservation of A. bisporus Portobello flour.
The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science
and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support
through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO
(UIDB/AGR/00690/2020), C2TN (UID/Multi/04349/2013)
for R.V.C. Cardoso’s grant (SFRH/BD/137436/2018), M.
Carocho’s research contract. L. Barros and A. Fernandes
also thank FCT’s funding through the institutional scientific
employment program-contracts. This work is funded
by the European Structural and Investment Funds (FEEI)
through the Regional Operational Program North 2020,
within the scope of Project Mobilizador ValorNatural R .
Acknowledgments are also due European Agricultural
Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), through the Rural
Development Program (PDR2020), within the scope of
Project MicoCoating (PDR2020-101-031472).
