The Impact of Drying of Wild-Growing Mushrooms on the Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Water-Soluble Polysaccharides

Water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPs) were isolated from freeze-dried and hot-air-dried fruiting bodies of five wild-growing edible species: Armillaria mellea, Lactarius deliciosus, Leccinum aurantiacum, Suillus luteus, and Boletus badius. The concentrations of WSPs ranged from 36.3 +/- 0.7 mg/g dw to 105.9 +/- 3.9 mg/g dw. The method of drying substantially affected the quantity of WSP. The loss of WSP depended on species and varied between similar to 19% and similar to 48%. The extracted WSP contained varied amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and phenolics. The samples exerted antioxidant properties measured with the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assay (11.5 +/- 2.0 to 38.4 +/- 3.6 mu mol Trolox/g dw) and the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay (9.1 +/- 1.3 to 40.6 +/- 1.4 mu mol Trolox/g dw). In most cases, hot-air drying slightly increased the antioxidant potential of WSP.