Mineral Elements and Vitamins from Wild Wood Inhabiting Basidiocarps of Some Medicinal Mushrooms (Agaricomycetes) from India

Abstract

Mushrooms are rich in various nutrients and secondary metabolites. In this study, the contents of macroelements, trace elements, and some nonessential elements of wild basidiocarps of Fuscoporia torulosa, Inonotus pachyphloeus, Phellinus allardii, Ph. fastuosus, Ph. gilvus, and Ph. sanfordii (Hymenochaetaceae) collected from India was determined with wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Vitamins A, C, D2, and E (α-tocopherol) contents were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography and titration methods. Ph. gilvus contained the highest number (n = 21) and highest content of most of the elements. The mushrooms were rich in microelements, including Ca (80-2610 mg/kg dw), Cl (39.63-240 mg/kg dw), K (246.7-2620 mg/kg dw), Mg (96.6-500 mg/kg dw), Na (9.56-56 mg/kg dw), P (39.5-126.7 mg/kg dw), and S (69.37-170 mg/kg dw). Many trace elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Si, V, and Zn) and some nonessential elements (Al, Ba, Br, Rb, Sr, Ti, and Zr) were also detected in the mushroom species tested. There was a significant (P < 0.05) correlation (r > 0.9) between Al and Fe as well as Cu and Ti pairs. Correlation data provide an indication of interrelations between any two elements. Among vitamins, C (9.32 mg/100 g dw) and D2 (1.55 mg/100 g dw) were found in the highest amount in F. torulosa, while the lowest vitamin contents were present in Ph. fastuosus and Ph. allardii, respectively. Vitamins A and E were below the quantification limits. These results will be beneficial in deciding on the amount of these mushrooms in nutraceutical and drug formulations.