Abstract
Qualitative and quantitative examinations on the tasty substances of dried mushroom are described.
Nucleic acid derivatives in hot water extracts were studied by ion exchange chromatography. The substances identified were: adenine, adenosine, hypoxanthine, cytidylic acid, adenylic acid, uridylic acid and guanylic acid. But inosinic acid was absent.
The results of paper chromatography showed the presence of fumaric acid and two unidentified organic acids, but their contents were extremely low.
Amino acids in hot water extracts were examined by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography. Those identified in the extracts were: glutamic acid, aspartic acid, histidine, phenylalanine, and methionine. But their contents were very small.
The buffer action of hot water extracts of dried mushroom was almost the same with that of the Shoyu (soy sauce) or of the solution of Miso (fermented soy bean paste), and was participated by the amino acids and the nucleic acid derivatives in the extracts.
The presence of the nucleic acid derivatives such as guanylic acid, and the buffer action of the nucleic acid derivatives and the amino acids were supposed to be playing an important role in the taste of dried mushroom.
