Importance of low substrate arsenic content in mushroom cultivation and safety of final food product

Abstract

Mushrooms are known to accumulate various concentrations of different arsenic (As) species depending on the metalloid residue level in the substrate. These species are of different toxicity to humans and may represent a significant health problem. In the present study, edible fungal species (Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii and Hericium erinaceus) grown separately on substrate containing different As species (As(III), As(V) and dimethylarsinic acid—DMA; each form individually) at different concentrations (0.1–0.8 mM) exhibited different accumulation of total As, the lowest being in A. bisporus (1.97 ± 0.14 mg kg−1 DW) and the highest in P. ostreatus HK35 (68.8 ± 19.0 mg kg−1 DW) and P. eryngii (68.0 ± 31.0 mg kg−1 DW). The highest biomass was observed for A. bisporus, regardless of the As forms and their concentration (from 341.24 ± 13.16 to 378.49 ± 14.57 g). This confirms that A. bisporus is highly resistant to As due to low metalloid uptake and accumulation. To ensure quality of cultivated mushroom species and safety of final food product to human health, there is a necessity to control the level of substrate contamination with As.