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International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms

ISSN for PRINT: 1521-9437

Institutional price:	$538.00
Issues per year:	4

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2003, Volume5

92 pages

DOI: 10.1615/InterJMedicMush.v5.i4

Issue price - $128.00

Bioactive Components in Button Mushroom Agaricus bisporus (J. Lge) Imbach (Agaricomycetideae) of Nutritional, Medicinal, and Biological Importance (Review)

Robert B. Beelman
Department of Food Science, 116D Borland Laboratory, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802-4507, USA

Daniel J. Royse
Borland Laboratory, Departments of Food Science and Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-4507, USA

Naveen Chikthimmah
Departments of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

ABSTRACT

Agaricus bisporus (J. Lge) Imbach is the most widely cultivated species of edible mushroom worldwide. However, it is usually considered to be of lesser nutritional and medicinal value than the other mushrooms grown predominantly in Asia. This paper focuses on bioactive components of nutritional and medicinal importance in A. bisporus, and comparisons will be made to Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Singer (shiitake) and Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.:Fr.)Kumm. (oyster mushroom), the second and third most cultivated mushrooms. Data show that A. bisporus mushrooms compare favorably, especially when they are harvested at their fully mature stage, as with portabellas (open cap, brown strain). In addition, the bioactive properties of 1-octen-3-ol and 10-oxo-trans-8-decenoic acid (ODA), natural metabolites of most mushrooms, are discussed. These compounds are formed by the action of lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide lyase on linoleic acid when tissues are damaged or disrupted. Emphasis will be placed on the hormonal properties of ODA that stimulate growth and secondary metabolite production by mycelia, and fruiting body formation from mycelia at low concentrations of the dissociated acid. Also, antimicrobial properties of ODA are demonstrated at higher concentrations and at reduced pH values when this oxo-acid is primarily undissociated.