Mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D and vitamin B2; however, the content of these vitamins in dried mushrooms has not fully been investigated. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the contents of vitamin D2, ergosterol, and vitamin B2 in commercially dried edible mushrooms in China and to investigate the effect of UV-C irradiation on fresh mushrooms. Among the 35 species of dried mushrooms considered for this study, the average ergosterol content was 1.98 mg/g, while the average vitamin D2 content was 16.88 µg/g. The average vitamin B2 content in dried mushrooms was 12.68 µg/g. Fresh shaggy ink caps and oyster mushrooms, when exposed to UV-C at 254 nm at a dose of 0.25 J/cm2 for 10, 30, and 60 min, showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased vitamin D2 content (229.7 and 67.0 µg/g, respectively) as compared to its fresh counterparts. The conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D2 induced by UV-C irradiation at 0.25 J/cm2 was significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dried commercial mushrooms have higher contents of ergosterol and vitamin D2 than fresh mushrooms. UV-C radiation can be used to increase vitamin D2 content in mushrooms.
Keywords: Edible mushrooms; Ergosterol; UV-C irradiation; Vitamin B2; Vitamin D.