Lentinus edodes (Shiitake) is an edible mushroom cultivated and marketed due to its nutritional and medicinal values (1). L. edodes is appreciated for its unique fragrant taste, its high dietetic potential is valuable for health and its bioactive molecules explain its interest as medicinal mushroom (1). This mushroom can be grown using various substrates and culture conditions (2). Our work focused on the comparison of nutraceutical compounds (i. e., amino acids and ergosterol) of L. edodes fruit bodies cultivated in organic or non-organic growing conditions in the French Occitanie region (2). Sequential extraction was performed on freeze dried fungal materials. Quantitative evaluation of amino acids was done using HP-TLC, dosage of ergosterol was carried out using HPLC. For both nutraceutics, differences were highlighted between extracts (depending on the nature of the solvents) and between growing conditions (organic versus non-organic). For example, extracts from non-organic producers have the highest levels of alanine and the lowest contents of isoleucine. Extracts from organic producer contain a significantly higher content of ergosterol. This work demonstrated that culture conditions influence the chemical profile of mushrooms (in our case, Lentinus edodes), particularly nutraceutics compounds which could improve nutrition and human health.

1) Rathore H, Prasad S, Sharma S. Mushroom nutraceuticals for improved nutrition and better human health: A review. Pharma Nutrition. 2017; 5:35-46.

2) Diallo I, Boudard F, Morel S, Vitou M, Guzman C, Saint N, Michel A, Rapior S, Traoré L, Poucheret P, Fons F. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of Shiitake culinary-medicinal mushroom, Lentinus edodes (Agaricomycetes) sporophores from various culture conditions. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2020; 22:535-546.