Amino acid and total protein content of the edible mushroom Cantharellus cibarius (Fries)

Abstract

It is difficult to determine total protein content in fungi, mainly because chitin and other nitrogenous compounds interfere with total nitrogen analysis (eg Kjeldahl analysis) which is commonly used. Therefore, a few different methods have been compared, and total amino acid concentration and composition in the edible mushroom Cantharellus cibarius (Fries) have been analysed using one sophisticated and one rough method based on acid hydrolysis and ninhydrin. For fungal material, it is better to analyse total amino acids. Only 99 g kg⁻¹ dry weight of C cibarius was protein which implies that former values based on total N analysis given in literature are 70–200% too high. The nutritional value of mushrooms should therefore not be over emphasised, even though the protein content is higher than that of most vegetables.