Background: The release of bioelements from edible mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus, Cantharellus cibarius, and Imleria badia) was examined using in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion to assess their health-promoting potential. The following samples were tested: fresh, frozen, dried in a food dryer, dried in the sun, and lyophilized. The samples were incubated in gastric juice (pepsin, NaCl, HCl) and in intestinal juice (NaHCO3 , pancreatin, bile salts) with the aim of verifying the bioaccessibility of the bioelements and the digestibility of mushrooms. Four bioelements that are essential for the human body were studied: Mg, Zn, Cu, and Fe.
Results: It was found that Mg was extracted in the highest amounts from the sun-dried A. bisporus (1.620 g kg-1 d.w.). In the case of microelements, the lyophilized fruiting bodies of I. badia released Zn in the highest quantities (0.180 g kg-1 d.w.). Lyophilization and sun-drying methods were more advantageous than other methods. Fresh material was a more valuable source of bioelements than frozen material.
Conclusion: Our results showed that edible mushrooms have a high content of bioelements that are easily bioaccessible, which indicates their health-promoting properties. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
Keywords: bioaccessibility; bioelements; conservation methods; in vitro digestion; medicinal mushrooms; processing.
© 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.