Potential for Nutritional Enrichment of Whole-Wheat Bread with Portabella Mushroom Powder (Agaricus bisporus (J. Lge) Imbach, Agaricomycetideae)

Abstract

There is a need to determine new value-added uses for off-grade and/or overmature culinary-medicinal mushrooms (CMMs) in food products. CMMs may provide significant vegetarian sources of vitamin D, selenium, chromium, and antioxidants such as ergothioneine. The objective of this study was to determine the applicability of adding freeze-dried culinary-mushroom powder to bread as a unique nutritional ingredient by evaluating loaf physical and chemical properties. White whole-wheat flour was substituted with Agaricus bisporus (Portabella mushroom) powder at 0%, 5%, 10%, or 20% (w/w) levels. Results showed that loaf size decreased, whereas bread firmness increased, with increasing levels of mushroom powder substitution. Through storage, bread moisture content remained unchanged at 43%, whereas amylopectin recrystallization in control bread was very low (<1.0 J/g) and was negligible in breads prepared with mushroom powder. In summary, this study demonstrated the possibility of using CMM powder as a nutritional supplement for bread that could supply valuable micronutrients such as selenium and vitamin D2, along with the novel antioxidant, ergothioneine.