Antioxidant properties of several culinary-medicinal mushrooms during postharvest storage

[[abstract]]Four culinary-medicinal mushrooms - Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach, Pleurotus eryngii (DC.: Fr.) Quel., R ferulae (DC.: Fr) Quel., and R ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm. (gray strain) - were stored at 4 degrees C for 9 days, and the antioxidant properties of their ethanolic extracts were studied. At day 0, four species of mushrooms showed effective antioxidant properties as evidenced by their low EC50 values (less than 3, 9, 6, and 7 mg/mL for antioxidant activity, reducing power, scavenging ability on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals, and chelating ability on ferrous ions, respectively). But their antioxidant properties significantly decreased with storage time. At day 6, EC50 values in antioxidant activity, reducing power, scavenging ability, and chelating ability were 3.12-7.35, 9.19-14.59, 3.70-8.08, and 3.99-9.79 mg/mL, respectively. Total phenols were the major antioxidant components in ethanolic extracts (6.71-7.91 mg/g). Based on the results obtained, mushrooms were recommended to store at 4 degrees C for up to 6 days