Fatty acid profile of wild edible and cultivated mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus, Amanita spp and Termitomyces microcarpus)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate fat content and fatty acid profile of cultivated (Pleurotus ostreatus) and wild edible mushrooms (Amanita spp and Termitomyces microcarpus). Design/methodology/approach Pleurotus ostreatus was grown in soil and on cotton seed husks in mushroom growing rooms at Busitema University, Uganda. T. microcarpus and Amanita spp were collected from the wild. Freshly harvested mushrooms were dried at 60°C for 48 h in a hot air oven. Oil was extracted using a Clevenger apparatus. Fatty acid analysis was done using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Findings Fat content ranged between 0.24 and 5.23 per cent. Variation was noted between P. ostreatusgrown in soil and on cotton seed husks (p = 0.0090). Similarly, Amanita spp and T. microcarpus had differing fat contents (p =