MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Fatty Acids and Stable Isotope Ratios in Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) Indicate the Origin of the Cultivation Substrate Used: A Preliminary Case Study in Korea

Summary

Shiitake mushrooms are commonly grown in Korea using substrates from both Korea and China, but consumers often cannot tell which origin was used. This study compared mushrooms grown on Korean versus Chinese substrates and found that measuring stable isotope ratios (chemical signatures) is more reliable than analyzing fatty acids for determining where the cultivation substrate came from. These results could help improve labeling accuracy in the mushroom market.

Background

Shiitake mushrooms are globally the second most cultivated mushroom species due to their unique taste and nutritional benefits. In Korea, many farms use imported Chinese substrates for bag cultivation due to lack of standardized techniques for substrate preparation, creating origin labeling issues for consumers and international markets.

Objective

To investigate and compare differences in fatty acid composition and stable isotope ratios in shiitake mushrooms cultivated using Korean and Chinese substrates under similar conditions while accounting for harvesting cycle variations.

Results

Total fatty acid levels decreased significantly by 5.49 mg·g⁻¹ with increasing harvesting cycles. Linoleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid (77-81% of total). Stable isotope ratios differed significantly between Korean and Chinese substrates with maximum differences <1.0‰ for δ13C and δ15N, <2.0‰ for δ18O, and <3.0‰ for δ34S across harvesting cycles.

Conclusion

Stable isotope ratio analysis shows greater discriminatory power than fatty acid analysis for determining the geographical origin of shiitake mushroom cultivation substrates. These findings provide important insights for origin labeling issues in shiitake mushroom production and may have applications in international mushroom markets.
  • Published in:Foods,
  • Study Type:Case Study,
  • Source: PMID: 32882944
Scroll to Top