Pleurotus species as a source of bio-preservatives
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abstract
Mushrooms are consumed worldwide not only as a part of the normal diet, but also as a delicacy due to
their highly desirable taste and aroma. In addition to their nutritional value, mushrooms have been
considered functional foods [1] and even as adjuvants in some therapies, namely chemotherapy [2]. This is
because they are natural matrices rich in bioactive molecules, such as phenolic compounds, tocopherols,
ascorbic acid, or carotenoids. In particular, tocopherols are powerful antioxidants that can be explored as
natural food preservatives, in order to replace the widely used synthetic counterparts.
With these aspects in mind, and given the evidence that the in vitro culture of mushrooms promotes the
production of tocopherols [3], the present work aimed to sub-culture two different mushroom species by in
vitro techniques, in order to enhance the production of tocopherols, and use the mycelium as sources of
preservative ingredients for foodstuff. The species chosen for the study were two of the most consumed
species worldwide, Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) P. Kumm. and Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél.
Firstly, both mushroom species were cultivated in different culture media (i.e., MMN complete, MMN
incomplete and PDA), in order to optimize the ideal growth conditions. Since the best growth was obtained
on PDA medium, both species were cultivated in PDB liquid medium, in order to obtain the amount of
biomass required for the assays. After a period of approximately five weeks, the mycelia were recovered,
freeze-dried and stored until further analyses.
The tocopherols content was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a
fluorescence detector. A formulation enriched in tocopherols will be prepared by extraction from the
mycelium and further incorporated in cakes. Its preservative capacity will be assessed, through the
evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties before and after incorporation in the foodstuff.
The results will be compared with commercial available and used preservatives (i.e., ascorbic acid- natural
antioxidant and potassium sorbate- synthetic preservative).
