Impact of post-harvest processing or thermal dehydration on physiochemical, nutritional and sensory quality of shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are one of the most popular and highly consumed mushrooms worldwide both in fresh and dry forms. However, it rapidly starts losing its quality immediately after harvest which necessitates processing and/or proper storage before being distributed. However, the processes used for preserving other mushrooms (e.g., Agaricus) become unviable for shiitake due to its uniqueness (higher respiration rate, varied biochemicals, growth, etc.) which demands individual studies on shiitake. This review starts by listing the factors and their interdependence leading to a quality decline in shiitake after harvest. Understanding well about these factors, numerous post-harvest operations preserve shiitake as fresh form for a shorter period and as dried forms for a longer shelf-life. These processes also affect the intrinsic quality and nutrients of shiitake. This review comprehensively summarizes and discusses the effects of chemical processing (washing, fumigation, coating, and ozone), modified atmosphere packaging (including irradiation) on the quality of fresh shiitake while discussing their efficiency in extending their shelf-life by inhibiting microbial spoilage and deterioration in quality including texture, appearance, nutrients, and favor. It also reviews the impact of thermal dehydration on the quality of dried shiitake mushrooms, especially the acquired unique textural, nutritional, and aromatic properties along with their merits and limitations. Since shiitake are preferred to be low-cost consumer products, the applicability of freeze-drying and sophisticated novel methodologies, which prove to be expensive and/or complex, are discussed. The review also outlines the challenges and proposes the subsequent future directives, which either retains/enhances the desirable quality in shiitake mushrooms.

Detection progress of selected drugs in TLC

This entry describes applications of known indicators and dyes as new visualizing reagents and various visualizing systems as well as photocatalytic reactions and bioautography method for the detection of bioactive compounds including drugs and compounds isolated from herbal extracts. Broadening index, detection index, characteristics of densitometric band, modified contrast index, limit of detection, densitometric visualizing index, and linearity range of detected compounds were used for the evaluation of visualizing effects of applied visualizing reagents. It was shown that visualizing effect depends on the chemical structure of the visualizing reagent, the structure of the substance detected, and the chromatographic adsorbent applied. The usefulness of densitometry to direct detection of some drugs was also shown. Quoted papers indicate the detection progress of selected drugs investigated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC).

Comparative studies on chemical parameters and antioxidant properties of stipes and caps of shiitake mushroom as affected by different drying methods

BACKGROUND

Shiitake, the second most cultivated mushroom, is famous for its high nutritional value and medicinal properties. In this study, various chemical parameters and antioxidant properties of caps and stipes of shiitake mushroom dried by different methods (freeze-drying, shade drying and hot air drying) were comparatively investigated by spectrophotometric assays, high-performance liquid chromatography, 1,1'-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay, ferric reducing power assay and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay.

RESULTS

The contents of amino acids, neutral sugar and total phenolics in stipes were higher than those in caps of shiitake, while caps showed advantages in terms of their contents of protein and eritadenine. The chemical parameters and antioxidant activities of shiitake were significantly affected by the drying method used.

CONCLUSION

The contents of total phenolics, amino acids and neutral sugar in stipes were higher than those in caps of shiitake, which suggested that stipes were more nutritional than caps in some respects. Hot air drying at 50 °C resulted in high total phenolic, amino acid, uronic acid and neutral sugar contents and antioxidant activities, which could be useful for the application of shiitake and related products in the food industry.

Bioautography detection in thin-layer chromatography

Bioautography is a microbial detection method hyphenated with planar chromatography techniques. It is based mainly on antimicrobial or antifungal properties of analyzed substances. The review discusses three versions of bioautography, i.e. contact, immersion and direct bioautography. The more concern is given to the last one. Many applications are quoted, not only for testing various groups of compounds, but also for investigating biochemical processes and factors influencing bacterial growth. Additionally, related methods, which can be included into direct bioautography, are discussed. The most promising among them seems to be TLC-bioluminescence screening.