Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 5 (2): 56-59, 2012 ISSN 1995-8986 © IDOSI Publications, 2012 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.ajps.2012.5.2.240 Corresponding Author: S.K. Sharma, Department of Botany, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab) India, 147002. 56 Evaluation of Wild Edible Mushrooms for Amino Acid Composition S.K. Sharma, N.S. Atri, R. Joshi, Ashu Gulati and Arvind Gulati 1 1 2 2 2 Department of Botany, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab) India 1 Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, 2 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Palampur (H.P.) India Abstract: Five different species of genus Lentinus namely, Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) Fr., L. connatus Berk., L. torulosus (Pers.:Fr.) Lloyd, L. cladopus Lèv and L. squarrosulus Mont. from Northern India were investigated. Out of the five wild edible species of Lentinus, aspartic acid was found to be predominated fatty acid. Aspartic acid content ranged from 0.25-0.37% with maximum in L. squarrosulus (0.37%) and minimum in L. torulosus (0.25%). Arginine content ranged from 0.21-0.29% with maximum in L. torulosus (0.29%) and minimum in L. squarrosulus (0.21%). Alanine content ranged from 0.09-0.15% with maximum in L. torulosus (0.15%) and minimum in L. squarrosulus var. squarrosulus (0.09%). Proline content ranged from 0.01-0.06 with maximum in L. squarrosulus (0.06%) and minimum in L. connatus (0.01). Similarly tyrosine content ranged from 0.16-0.24% with maximum in L. cladopus (0.24%) and minimum in L. sajor-caju (0.16%). Key words: Lentinus Amino acids Wild mushrooms Nutraceuticals INTRODUCTION are known to exist. Out of these about 50% species are Mushrooms have long been valued as highly almost 3000 species spread over 31 genera are regarded as nutritious tasty food items by many societies throughout prime edible mushrooms. To date only 200 of them are the world [1]. In addition to their nutritional value, many experimentally grown, 100 of them economically edible mushrooms have long been investigated for their cultivated, approximately 60 commercially cultivated and pharmaceutical constituents [2, 3]. At present, over 270 about 10 have reached to industrial scale production in species of mushroom are reported with known many countries [12]. Due to the wide use of wild therapeutic properties [4-6]. Medicinal mushroom extracts mushrooms as a source of important compounds, amino were considered as an important remedies for the acid composition of five wild edible mushrooms have prevention and treatment of many diseases for been determined so as to support their culinary thousands of years especially in the Oriental regions [7-8]. credentials. Many of them are rich source of various bioactive molecules having anticancer and immunomodulatory MATERIALS AND METHODS potential. Such compounds are increasingly used in Japan as adjuvant to help support immune function in cancer Samples: All the five fully mature samples were collected patients during radio and chemotherapy and are reported from various localities of North West India (Table 1). to prolong survival times in some types of cancer [9]. The samples were dried at 45°C and preserved in Previous studies have shown that Lentinus Fr. cellophane bags in air tight conditions with small amount mushrooms can lower both blood pressure and free of 1-4 para dichlorobenzene in porous packets to keep cholesterol in plasma, as well as accelerate accumulation them insect free for further investigations [Table 1]. of lipids in the liver, by removing them from circulation Taxonomic identification was done following the [10]. Nucleic acids from Lentinula edodes have been description given by [13]. The samples were deposited at reported to initiate significant platelet agglutinating the herbarium of Department of Botany, Punjabi inhibitory effects [11]. Currently 14,000 mushroom species University Patiala (Punjab) India under PUN [14]. reported to possess varying degrees of edibility and