Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
MUSHROOMS
G
ENERAL
A
SPECTS
Fresh mushrooms are highly perishable and their quality declines rapidly after
harvest. However, due to consumer demand for fresh produce and foreign compe-
tition with processed products, the percentage of U.S.-produced
Agaricus
mush-
rooms sold on the fresh market has increased dramatically in recent years and
represents about 68% of all mushrooms grown in that country. A key factor in
increasing demand and subsequent sale of fresh mushrooms is the improvement of
the quality available to the consumer.
102
Mushrooms, the edible species of a large group of fungi, have been consumed
for several thousand years and can be divided into five groups: (1) Oomycetes,
(2) Zygomycetes, (3) Ascomycetes, (4) Basidiomycetes, and (5) Deuteromycetes
(Fungi imperfecti). Some mushrooms, such as truffles and morels, are Ascomycetes,
while most, including species of
Agaricus
,
Lentinula
,
Pleurotus
, and
Volvariella
, are
Basidiomycetes. Basidiomycete is also known as huitlacoche, which is the name the
Aztecs applied to the young fruiting bodies (galls growing on the maize ears) of
Ustilagomaydis
, which is the causal agent of common smut of maize. Huitlacoche
is consumed as the main component of a dish or as a condiment and offers a very
attractive chemical composition and desirable nutritional attributes.
103
Usually, the
reproductive portion or fruiting body of the mushroom lies aboveground and is the
part most commonly eaten, while the vegetative portion or mycelium is hidden
beneath the soil. The fruiting body is comprised of three distinct parts: the pileus
or umbrella-like cap; the lamella or delicate spore-forming gills; and the stipe, the
stalk on which the cap is held (
Figure 10.5
).
Because of their unique aroma and
delicious taste, hundreds of wild mushroom species have been used as food, but
only a few have been extensively cultivated on a commercial scale.
102,104-106
America leads the world in production of
Agaricus
mushrooms accounting for
about 24% of the total, which means about 1.4 million tons.
Pleurotus
spp., the
Pileus (cap)
Lamellae (gills)
Upper stipe
Velum (veil)
Lower stipe
FIGURE 10.5
Cross-section of a mushroom fruiting body.
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