Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of cultivated button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Mushrooms contain a variety of secondary metabolites, including various phenolic compounds and ergothioneine, which have been shown to act as excellent antioxidants. The present study reports a comparison of the antioxidant properties, total phenolic, ergothioneine and mineral contents of the most-consumed strains of Agaricus bisporus (white or brown colors). The samples were fruiting body, mycelia produced at farm (old mycelium) and in vitro (young mycelium). The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays. The analysis of phenolic compounds was performed by Folin-Ciocalteau method. The mushroom strain with the highest ergothioneine, phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential was the strain A-SPA15 (brown color). Generally, fruiting body samples revealed higher ergothioneine, phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties than mycelia obtained from farm and in vitro culture. There were variations in the mineral content of A. bisporus harvested from the fruiting body, old mycelium, and young mycelium. Furthermore, the lowest heavy-metal concentrations (Ni, Pb, Cd, and Cr) were detected in mycelium samples in each strain. Results demonstrated that mushrooms contained high amounts of copper, zinc, iron and manganese could be used in well-balanced diets. This study contributes to the data relative to A. bisporus consumed as fresh mushrooms and the possibility of in vitro production as a source of bioactive compounds.