Compositional and nutritional studies on edible wild mushroom from northeast India

Two species of mushrooms Schizophyllum commune and Lentinus edodes from Northeast India were assessed for their nutritive value. Protein contents of S. commune (16%) and L. edodes (23%) were high, but fat content was low (2%) in both the mushrooms. Oleic and linoleic acids accounted for 72–77% of the total fat in both the mushrooms. Essential amino acid contents of S. commune and L. edodes were 34% and 39%, respectively. The chemical scores of S. commune (28) and L. edodes (29) were low compared to whole egg protein. Methionine was the limiting amino acid in both the mushrooms. Protein quality evaluation by NPR (net protein ratio), NPU (net protein utilization) and TDP (true digestibility of protein), showed that the mushrooms were comparatively much lower then casein in all the parameters examined. Animals on L. edodes showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher NPR, RNPR, and NPU than animals on the S. commune diet. True protein digestibility of the L. edodes diet was also significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the S. commune diet.