Non-volatile taste components of several cultivated mushrooms

Five species of dried mushrooms are commercially available in China, namely Agrocybe cylindracea, Pleurotus cystidiosus, Agaricus blazei, Pleurotus eryngii, and Coprinus comatus, and their nonvolatile taste components were studied. Trehalose (12.23-301.63 mg/g) and mannitol (12.37-152.11 mg/g) were considered as the major mushroom sugar/polyol in the five test species. The total free amino acid levels ranged from 4.09 to 22.73 mg/g. MSG-like components contents ranged from 0.97 to 4.99 mg/g. 5′-Nucleotide levels ranged from 1.68 mg/g in P. eryngii to 3.79 mg/g in C. comatus. Fumaric acid (96.11 mg/g) in P. cystidiosus were significantly higher compared with the other mushrooms, and citric acid (113.13 mg/g), as the highest of any organic acid among the five mushrooms, were found in A. blazei. Equivalent umami concentrations values in these five test mushrooms ranged from 11.19 to 88.37 g/100 g dry weight. A. blazei, C.comatus and A. cylindracea possessed highly strong umami taste.