Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate) is a plant species of the holly genus Ilex native to South America from the family Aquifoliaceae and is used for the production of yerba mate infusion. The leaves of the plant are steeped in hot water to make a beverage known as mate. The present study aimed to quantify and compare the content of selected elements in dried leaves and stems of I. paraguariensis (originating from Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil) available in the market in Poland and determine the amount of these elements and bioactive compounds that pass into the infusion prepared from them. The contents of the following antioxidant compounds were assessed: neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, 4-feruloylquinic acid, isochlorogenic acid, rutoside, astragalin, caffeine, and indole derivatives. All the tested samples showed the presence of elements such as magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese. The highest antioxidant activity was determined for infusion prepared from yerba mate samples from Brazil. Drinking approximately 1 L of the infusion a day will partially cover the daily requirement of these elements and bioactive compounds. The highest content of organic compounds with antioxidant properties (phenolic compounds and caffeine) was found in yerba mate infusions from Brazil.

Pleurotus eryngii (DC:Fr.) Quel. is a cultivated mushroom of high culinary value and medicinal properties. Mycelium of P. eryngii is characterized by the ability of effective bio-elements absorption from growth media so it could be biofortified with trace elements with a functional activity in the human body. In this study, the ability of P. eryngii mycelia from in vitro cultures as well as fruiting bodies were investigated in terms of their effectiveness in zinc and selenium accumulation. The effect of Se and Zn biofortification on productivity, chemical compounds, and bio-elements content of P. eryngii was determined as well. To enhance Se and Zn content in P. eryngii fruiting bodies and mycelia, substrates were supplemented with sodium selenite, at a concentration of 50 mg L⁻¹, zinc sulfate, and zinc hydro-aspartate at a concentration of 87.2 and 100.0 mg L⁻¹, respectively. Mentioned Zn concentrations contained the same amount of zinc(II) ions, namely 20 mg L⁻¹. The content of organic compounds include phenolic compounds and lovastatin, which were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with UV detection. The ability of P. eryngii to accumulate zinc and selenium from the culture medium was demonstrated. The degree of accumulation of zinc turned out to be different depending on the type of salt used. The present study also showed that conducting mycelium of P. eryngii in in vitro culture, with a higher content of zinc ions, can result in obtaining the materials with better antioxidant ability. The results of this study can be used to develop the composition of growing media, which ensures the production of biomass with the desired composition of elements.

Worldwide, mushrooms belonging to the Pleurotus spp. such as P. citrinopileatus, P. djamor, and P. pulmonarius are highly valued not only for their taste and aroma but also for their health-promoting properties. These species are rich in bioelements, vitamins, and above all, compounds that exhibit immunostimulatory activity. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the effect of the supplementation of culture media using inorganic Mg and Zn salts. This is the first study to establish the bioavailability of the selected elements (Mg and Zn) and anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻) from the enriched biomass by means of the extraction of lyophilized mycelium into artificial digestive juices. The following salts were added to the liquid Oddoux medium: ZnSO₄·7H₂O, ZnCl₂, MgSO₄·7H₂O or MgCl₂·6H₂O. The bioelements, anions and organic compounds in the obtained biomass were determined. The addition of Zn and Mg salts to the media increased the production of biomass by 30% and increased the bioaccumulation of the inorganic salts. Maintaining in vitro cultures under optimized and controlled conditions produced mycelium with a better composition and health properties than otherwise. Such enriched biomass may be classified as potential functional foods, aiding in overcoming deficiencies of elements and organic compounds with biological activity in humans.

Cordyceps militaris has long been used in Eastern medicine for alleviating fatigue and as an immunostimulant. The present study aimed to determine the content of biologically active substances (bioelements and organic compounds), the total phenolic content, and the antioxidant activity of fruiting bodies (commercially available and self-cultivated), mycelia, and two food supplements. The results show that substrate composition and cultivation method had an influence on the properties of mushroom materials. An important aspect of the study is the estimation of the content of bioactive substances present after extraction into digestive juices in the artificial gastrointestinal tract model, which can allow for determining the amount of these substances that is potentially bioavailable for the human body. The best results for cordycepin (81.4 mg/100 g d.w.) and lovastatin (53.6 mg/100 g d.w.) were achieved for commercially available food supplements. Furthermore, after digestion in artificial intestinal juice, the highest amount of cordycepin was determined in the fruiting bodies from commercially obtained (25.9 mg/100 g d.w.) and self-cultivated mushroom (25.8 mg/100 g d.w.). In conclusion, the mycelium and fruiting bodies of C. militaris are ideal food supplements and pharmaceutical agents and can serve as a good source of prohealth substances potentially bioavailable for humans.

Hypsizygus marmoreus is an edible medicinal mushroom species with a high dietary value. In this study, the fruiting bodies of commercial and self-cultivated crops and mycelium from in vitro H. marmoreus cultures (both white and brown varieties) were evaluated. This study aimed to analyze the presence of indole compounds and other biologically active substances and determine the effect that the addition of zinc and magnesium ions to the culture medium has on the content of the tested compounds in mycelial cultures. The content of indole compounds and other organic compounds was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, the content of bioelements was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry, the glucan content was determined spectrophotometrically, and the antioxidant activity of extracts was estimated using DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS methods. The results showed that H. marmoreus mycelium from in vitro cultures is a good source of indole compounds, bioelements, glucans, and lovastatin. Mycelia from in vitro cultures showed the most diverse composition of indole compounds (L-tryptophan, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-methyltryptamine, and melatonin). Additionally, in vitro cultures of H. marmoreus enriched with Zn and Mg salts increased the contents of Na, Ca, Zn, 5-methyltryptamine, melatonin, protocatechuic acid, sterols, and total glucans. Only in the case of the white variety of mycelial enriched cultures, ergothioneine and Mg levels also increased. To summarize, the content of the active compounds differed depending on the H. marmoreus variety and the tested material.

The use of substrates supplemented with minerals is a promising strategy for increasing the nutraceutical value of Pleurotus spp. The current research was performed to analyze the effect of substrate supplementation with magnesium (Mg) salts on the Mg content, biomass, and chemical composition of pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) fruiting bodies. Before inoculation, substrate was supplemented with MgCl₂ × 6 H₂O and MgSO₄, both salts were applied at three concentrations: 210, 420, and 4200 mg of Mg per 2 kg of substrate. The harvest period included three flushes. Substrate supplementation with 4200 mg of Mg caused the most significant decrease in mushroom productivity, of about 28% for both Mg salts. The dry matter content in fruiting bodies was significantly lower in the treatment in which 210 mg of Mg was applied as MgSO₄ in comparison to the control. Supplementation effectively increased the Mg content in fruiting bodies of P. djamor by 19–85% depending on the treatment, and significantly affected the level of remaining bioelements and anions. One hundred grams of pink oyster fruiting bodies, supplemented with Mg salts, provides more than 20% of the Mg dietary value recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); thus, supplementation can be an effective technique for producing mushrooms that are rich in dietary Mg. Although P. djamor grown in supplemented substrate showed lower productivity, this was evident only in the fresh weight because the differences in dry weight were negligible. Mg supplementation increased the antioxidant activity of the fruiting bodies, phenolic compounds, and some amino acids, including L-tryptophan, and vitamins (thiamine and l-ascorbic acid).