Determination of Glucan Contents in the Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia of Lentinula edodes Cultivars

ABSTRACT

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) containing beta-glucans may be beneficial for human health; they have been used in the treatment of cancer, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels. The objective of this study was to determine the beta-glucan content in different sections of the fruiting bodies and mycelia of ten shiitake mushroom cultivars. The measured beta-glucan content ranged from 20.06 +/- 1.76% to 44.21 +/- 0.13% in the pileus sections, and from 29.74 +/- 1.40% to 56.47 +/- 4.72% in the stipe sections. The results of this study indicate that the variance in beta-glucan content dependent on the shiitake cultivar, and that the beta-glucan content is higher in the stipe than in the pileus.