Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
In recent years, mycosterols have emerged as potential functional ingredients for the development of
sterol-enriched food products and dietary supplements. Agaricus blazei is a mushroom rich in bioactive
compounds. For commercial purposes, their fruiting bodies must obey rigid morphological criteria. Those
not conforming to these criteria are usually discarded, although this does not mean impairment of their
content in bioactives. The aim of the present work was to propose the use of commercially discarded
A. blazei fruiting bodies for obtaining an extract rich in ergosterol as a fortifier ingredient for yogurts. For
extraction, the Soxhlet technology was used and the highest ergosterol yield (around 12%) was achieved
in the 5th cycle, yielding 58.53 ± 1.72 μg of ergosterol per 100 g of mushroom (dry weight). The ergosterol
rich extract presented notable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, besides showing no hepatotoxicity.
When added to the yogurts it significantly enhanced their antioxidant properties. Furthermore, it
did not significantly alter the nutritional or the individual fatty acid profiles of the final dairy products.
Thus, A. blazei fruiting bodies that do not conform to the commercial requirements of the market and are
normally discarded could be exploited for obtaining a natural high added-value food additive, following
the circular bioeconomy concept.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Corrêa, Rúbia C.G.; Barros, Lillian; Fernandes, Ângela; Sokovic, Marina; Bracht, Adelar; Peralta, Rosane M.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R. (2018). A natural food ingredient based on ergosterol: Optimization of the extraction from: Agaricus blazei, evaluation of bioactive properties and incorporation in yogurts. Food and Function. ISSN 2042-6496. 9, p. 1465-1474