Studies on the composition and nutritional value of the cultivated mushroom, agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing.

Abstract

The effects of various cultural conditions on the composition and nutritional quality of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing. were investigated. Variation in composition was found between different classes of sample. Sampling techniques were standardised to allow for major variations in the different developmental stages and culture ages. Fruitbodies were found to be of low calorific value but contained protein of high digestibility and quality, containing all the essential amino acids required by man. Quantitative estimates of the sulphur-containing amino acids indicated that fruitbodies were deficient in methionine and cysteine. The extent of water application and the supplementation of conventional substrates with various nitrogen-containing substances, influenced yield and composition, establishing the importance of these two factors in the physiology of fruitbodies and cultural management. Storage conditions influenced composition, high temperatures being deleterious to the nutritional value of fruitbodies. Submerged culture techniques were used to investigate the effects of various nutrients on growth and composition of mushroom mycelium, with special reference to the sulphur-containing amino acids. Yield and composition were greatly affected by the carbon:nitrogen ratio of the medium and by the nitrogen source. Significant increases in mycelial methionine content were observed on the addition of inorganic sulphate, the methionine derivative N-acetyl-L-methionine, and L-methionine. A greater increase in methionine content was obtained when the biomass of a thermophilic bacterium isolated from compost was used as a nitrogen source.