Studies on Free Sugars, Free Sugaralcohols and Organic Acids of Wild Mushrooms

Abstract

Free sugars, free sugaralcohols and organic acids in the ethanolic extracts of forty-one species of wild mushrooms were investigated by gas-liquid chromatography. The results obtained were as follows: The amounts of total free sugars and total free sugaralcohols obtained from these wild mushrooms were found in the range of 0.1-29.3% (the mean value; 9.95%) and 0.7-29.3% (the mean value: 11.05%) in dry materials, respectively. In these mushrooms, four kinds of free sugars (trehalose, glucose, fructose and galactose) and four kinds of free sugaralcohols (mannitol, arabitol, mesoerythritol and glycerol) were identified. Trehalose and mannitol were found to be predominant in samples, and glycerol, fructose were also found in all the samples, and meso-erythritol was found in Shirohatsu mushroom (Russula chloroides). The distribution patterns and contents of free sugaralcohols had low similarities among different species of mushroom. Organic acid contents were found in the range of 0.1-4.5% (the mean value: 1.56%) in dry materials and eleven kinds of organic acids (malic, citric, fumaric, succinic, pyroglutamic, oxalic, α-ketoglutaric, lactic, tartaric, acetic and formic acids) were identified. Malic, citric, fumaric, succinic, pyroglutamic and oxalic acids were found to be predominant in samples, and acetic and formic acid were also found in all the samples. There were remarkable differences in the distribution patterns of organic acid compositions among the different species of mushroom.