The study involved the fruiting bodies of white, brown, and portobello varieties of Agaricus bisporus. The content of bioelements and organic compounds was determined in the prepared samples of different varieties and different parts (cap peel, cap devoid of peel, and stipes) of mushrooms. We determined which of the A. bisporus varieties is characterized by higher nutritional value. Because consumers often peel the outer part of the mycelium that forms the fruiting body (cap peel), we therefore established the justification of such action by examining the content of bioelements and selected organic compounds in different parts of the fruiting body, and thus to show whether removal of cap peel is justified from the perspective of the content of health-promoting mineral elements. The content of metals was determined using atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy. Organic compounds were determined using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Chemometric tools were used to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of the data obtained in the experiment. The study demonstrated that the brown varieties of A. bisporus are the richest in the examined substances and that the largest quantity of such content is accumulated in the cap peel.

Azole antifungal agents are widely used as active ingredients in antifungal pharmaceuticals and agricultural fungicides. An increase in the use of azole antifungals has resulted in an increase in the concentration of these compounds in wastewater and surface water, with potential implications for agriculture. In the present study, bifonazole (BIF) and clotrimazole (CTZ) were selected for investigation because of their widespread use in topical formulations and persistence in the environment. The mycoremediation capacity of BIF and CTZ by mycelia of Lentinula edodes in in vitro culture was evaluated. The main aim of this study was to identify the presumable biodegradation products of the investigated active pharmaceutical substances using the LC/MS/MS method. For this purpose, the media were enriched with the following active pharmaceutical ingredients selected for this study: BIF powder, CTZ powder, and BIF cream, each of them at the same concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Subsequently, thin-layer chromatography coupled with densitometry was used to evaluate the content of BIF and CTZ in mycelium from in vitro cultures of L. edodes. The degradation process was found to affect primarily the imidazole moiety of both investigated compounds. In addition, the amounts of undegraded investigated compounds were found to be 4.98, 9.26, and 4.56 mg/g dry weight for BIF powder, CTZ powder, and BIF cream, respectively. Therefore, the findings of this study revealed that L. edodes could be considered for remediation of pollution caused by azole antifungal agents.

Vitamin D3 is a crucial co-regulator of bone growth and remodeling, neuromuscular function, inflammation, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of cells. Intensive research on endogenous sulfur metabolism has revealed that hydrogen sulfide (H S) is an important modulator of various physiological processes in mammals. Noteworthy, these compounds are perceived as potential agents in the treatment of numerous disorders, including cardiovascular diseases and different types of cancer. The interaction between vitamin D3 and H S is unknown. The aim of the study is to assess the influence of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3, calcitriol) on H S tissue concentrations in mouse brain, heart and kidney. Twenty four SJL mice were given intraperitoneal injections of cholecalciferol at 10000 IU/kg body weight (b.w.) per day (group A, n = 8) or 40000 IU/kg b.w. per day (group B, n = 8). The control group (n = 8) received physiological saline. Free H₂S tissue concentrations were measured via the Siegel spectrophotometric modified method. There was a significant progressive increase in the H₂S concentration along with the rising cholecalciferol doses as compared to the control group in the heart (by 29.6% and by 74.1%, respectively). Higher vitamin D3 dose caused H₂S accumulation in the brain (by 10.9%) and in the kidney (by 10.1%). Our study has proven that cholecalciferol affects H₂S tissue concentration in different mouse organs.