Obodai M., Ferreira I.C.F.R., Fernandes Â., Barros L., Narh Mensah D.L., Dzomeku M., Urben A.F., Prempeh J., Takli R.K.
CSIR, Food Research Institute, P.O. Box M20, Accra, Ghana; Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, Bragança, Portugal; Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, PqEB - Parque Estação Biológica, Final Av. W5 Norte, Caixa Postal 02372, Brasília, DF, Brazil
Obodai, M., CSIR, Food Research Institute, P.O. Box M20, Accra, Ghana; Ferreira, I.C.F.R., Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, Bragança, Portugal; Fernandes, Â., Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, Bragança, Portugal; Barros, L., Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, Bragança, Portugal; Narh Mensah, D.L., CSIR, Food Research Institute, P.O. Box M20, Accra, Ghana; Dzomeku, M., CSIR, Food Research Institute, P.O. Box M20, Accra, Ghana; Urben, A.F., Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, PqEB - Parque Estação Biológica, Final Av. W5 Norte, Caixa Postal 02372, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Prempeh, J., CSIR, Food Research Institute, P.O. Box M20, Accra, Ghana; Takli, R.K., CSIR, Food Research Institute, P.O. Box M20, Accra, Ghana
Knowledge of the chemical composition of both wild and cultivated edible mushrooms in Ghana is limited. This study reports their nutritional value, composition in lipophilic and hydrophilic molecules, minerals and antioxidant properties. The samples were found to be nutritionally rich in carbohydrates, ranging from 64.14 ± 0.93 g in Pleurotus ostreatus strain EM-1 to 80.17 ± 0.34 g in Lentinus squarrosulus strain LSF. The highest level of proteins (28.40 ± 0.86 g) was recorded in the mentioned P. ostreatus strain. Low fat contents were registered in the samples, with Auricularia auricula recording the lowest value. High levels of potassium were also observed with the following decreasing order of elements: K > P ∼ Na > Mg > Ca. High levels of antioxidants were also observed, thus making mushrooms suitable to be used as functional foods or nutraceutical sources. Furthermore, this study provides new information regarding chemical properties of mushrooms from Ghana, which is very important for the biodiversity characterization of this country. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.