Nothofagus forests of the Andean Patagonian region are home to numerous wild edible mushroom (WEM) species with interesting organoleptic characteristics, although many of them have unknown nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. The proximal composition, fatty and organic acids, soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, ergosterol, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 17 WEMs were analyzed. Carbohydrates, the most abundant macronutrients, varied between 49.00 g/100 g dw (C. magellanicus) and 89.70 g/100 g dw (F. antarctica). Significantly higher values were found for total fat in G. gargal (5.90 g/100 g dw) followed by A. vitellinus (4.70 g/100 g dw); for crude protein in L. perlatum (36.60 g/100 g dw) followed by L. nuda (30.30 g/100 g dw); and for energy in G. gargal (398 Kcal/100g) and C. hariotii (392 Kcal/100g). The most effective extracts regarding the TBARS antioxidant capacity were those of Ramaria. This is the first time that a study was carried out on the chemical composition of G. sordulenta, C. xiphidipus, F. pumiliae, and L. perlatum. The promotion of sustainable use of WEMs, including their incorporation in functional diets that choose WEMs as nutritious, safe, and healthy foods, and their use in an identity mycogastronomy linked to tourism development, requires the detailed and precise nutritional and nutraceutical information of each species.

Fistulina antarctica and Ramaria patagonica are wild edible fungi from Patagonia, which produce mushrooms that have been consumed since ancient times by those in local communities. Both species possess high protein and low fat contents and other bioactive compounds with remarkable antioxidant activity. Drying is a widely and commonly practiced preservation technique that is cost-effective. However, the process of drying can have an impact on the levels of bioactive compounds. In this study, the effects of drying methods on the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity in the fructification of F. antarctica and R. patagonica were estimated. The analysis was conducted using fructifications that were fresh-frozen, dried at 50, 60, and 70 °C, and freeze-dried. The TPC was significantly higher for the fructifications that were fresh-frozen and dried at 60 °C in R. patagonica (with values of 14.78 and 13.67 mg GAE/mg of extract, respectively). Also, the fresh-freezing, freeze-drying. and 60 °C methods exhibited the highest inhibition of free radicals. In addition, R. patagonica had a notably higher concentration of phenols and showed higher antioxidant capacity than F. antarctica. The greatest losses concerning phenols occur in F. antarctica in the three evaluated air-drying temperatures (36.57, 29.76, 39.47% in 50, 60 and 70 °C respectively, compared with fresh-frozen). TPC and antioxidant activity were higher in fresh-frozen and freeze-dried samples. A drying temperature of 60 °C is advisable for both species, considering drying time and bioactivity. Overall, the fructifications from different processing methods exhibited unique functional properties. This information can be utilized to optimize the postharvest preservation and maximize the potential applications of these mushrooms.

Este trabajo evaluó la tasa de crecimiento micelial (Kr) y la producción de basidiomas de dos cepas comerciales del hongo shiitake Lentinula edodes (B05 y M3790) en formulaciones compuestas de residuos lignocelulósicos procedentes de actividades agrícolas y agroindustriales de la región andina de Patagonia Norte y de materiales leñosos de plantas invasoras. Las formulaciones consistieron de un sustrato base, como chips de madera de sauce (ChS), chips de madera de rosa mosqueta (ChRM), pelusa de rosa mosqueta (PRM) o virutas de lenga (VL), mezclado con un suplemento, como salvado de trigo (ST) o bagazo de cebada cervecera (BC). Las dos cepas evaluadas mostraron mayores Kr con ChRM-ST. La producción de basidiomas tuvo lugar lo largo de 1 a 4 oleadas, durante un máximo de 124 días. Las máximas eficiencias biológicas (EB) se obtuvieron con la cepa M3790, destacándose ChS (118,86%) y VL (88,73%), ambos suplementados con ST. La cepa B05 alcanzó las máximas EB con ChS-ST (54,72%) y con ChRM-BC (50,43%). Los resultados obtenidos especialmente con ChRM y ChS, sumado a su abundancia en Patagonia argentina, sugieren que estos materiales pueden ser aprovechados como sustratos para la producción comercial de shiitake, actividad aún no desarrollada a gran escala en la región.

The effects of a naturally occurring Patagonian strain of the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus on Araucaria araucana wood lignans was evaluated. Lignans of colonized and non-colonized wood shavings and the activity of fungal ligninolytic enzymes were studied. Lignans were identified using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometry detector. Only eudesmin lignan resisted biological degradation. The highest laccase activity was 0.111 ± 0.067 IU.g-1 dry matter substrate, which was reached after 60 days, whereas the highest manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity was 0.220 ± 0.109 IU.g-1 dry matter substrate, which was reached after 25 days, when the fungus was grown in a solid-state culture on wood shavings. The degradation properties of this fungal strain may be useful for not only treating resinous wastes from the regional forest industry to produce biofuels but also improving paper production. Moreover, the capacity of this white-rot fungus to grow on resinous A. araucana materials as substrate suggests the possibility of using the wood shavings or sawdust of this and other conifers as a food source to culture P. ostreatus, an edible mushroom.

Aim of study: Exotic conifer plantations and grasslands with livestock farming constitute widely distributed and extensive anthropized landscapes in Patagonia, Argentina, hosting a diversity of wild edible mushroom species that remain underexplored nutritionally and functionally. This study measured the chemical composition and bioactivity of exotic wild edible mushrooms (WEM) from Patagonia (Argentina). Area of study: The study was conducted in Chubut, Neuquén and Rio Negro provinces of Patagonia, Argentina. Material and methods: Seven WEM species from anthropized meadows and pine plantations [Agaricus campestris L., Lactarius deliciosus (L.) Gray, Leucocoprinus leucothites (Vittad.) Redhead, Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer, Suillus lakei (Murrill) A.H.Sm. & Thiers, Suillus luteus (L.: Fries) Gray and Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda) Th.Fr.] were assessed regarding their proximal composition (fatty acids, organic acids, soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, and ergosterol), their antioxidant activities (TBARS [Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances] and OxHLIA [oxidative haemolysis inhibition assay)], and antimicrobial activities. Main results: Carbohydrates ranged from 39.00 g/100 g dw (dry weight) in A. campestris to 79.20 g/100 g dw in S. luteus. Significantly higher values were found for total fat in S. lakei (3.90 g/100 g dw), Lactarius deliciosus (3.84) and S. luteus (3.80). Crude protein was highest in A. campestris (32.6 g/100 g dw) followed by Leucocoprinus leucothites (18.80 g/100 g dw), while energy was higher for Lactarius deliciosus and S. luteus (396.70 Kcal/100 g dw and 396.00 Kcal/100 g dw, respectively). In total, 27 fatty acids were identified and quantified; polyunsatured fatty acids (PUFAs) were the main group, with high amounts of linoleic acid (C18:2), present in all species. The most effective extracts regarding the antioxidant capacity (TBARS) were those of A. campestris and S. lakei. The antibacterial effects were particularly pronounced against Yersinia enterocolitica while the antifungal activity was strongest against Aspergillus brasiliensis, with the extracts of S. luteus and A. campestris being the most effective, respectively. Research highlights: Pine plantations and grasslands from the Andean Patagonian region host numerous WEM that can be used as an alternative source of food, with high nutritional and bioactive benefits. They can help to achieve food sovereignty, and enhance activities such as mycogastronomy, mycotherapy, mycotourism and the production of functional foods from these environments.