Contents of free amino acids and total amino acids in Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinus edodes

Abstract

Free amino acids in water-extracts and total amino acids in hydrolysates of three cultivated mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinus edodes were analyzed by amino acid analyzer to know the compositional differences depending on species and portions (pileus and stipe). Eighteen amino acids were identified and quantified. The total nitrogen and protein nitrogen contents were in the range of 1.67-6.24% and 0.88-2.42% (dry basis), respectively. The considerable differences were often found among species and portions of mushrooms. All of them were found to be higher in the pileus part. The free amino acids conents in water-extracts were in the range of 10.04-37.85mg/g(dry weight) and the total amino acids contents in hydrolysates were in the range of 53.37-120.15mg/g(dry weight). Glutamic acid, serine, histidine, and alanine were dominent in the free amino acids pool and glutamic, aspartic acid, histidine, and alanine were in the total amino acids pool.