Physicochemical, nutritional, phytochemical properties and antioxidant activity of edible Astraeus odoratus mushrooms: Effects of different cooking methods

Herein, we investigated the effects of various cooking methods (steaming, boiling, roasting, grilling, and microwaving) on the color parameter, physicochemical characteristics, nutritional value, phytochemical compositions, and antioxidant activity of edible Astraeus odoratus mushrooms. In general, the lowest L* value but the highest a* and Browning index (BI) were obtained in the grilled mushrooms. Additionally, the proximate composition significantly changed after cooking. Higher protein content (17.58% dry basis) was observed after grilling. Boiling resulted in the mushroom's lowest total phenolic content (278.43 mg GAE/100 g dw), total flavonoid content (89.17 mg CE/100 g dw), and phenolic compound levels (gallic acid: 6.34 mg/100 g dw, p-hydroxybenzoic acid: 105.76 mg/100 g dw), while grilling and roasting resulted in higher values for those components. As expected, the antioxidant activity of boiled, steamed, and microwaved samples decreased compared with uncooked mushrooms in the range of 8.62–64.68 mg AA/100 g dw. However, the antioxidant activities of grilled and roasted samples were retained and/or increased by 2.59–20.78%. This study suggested that differing cooking methods of the mushrooms cause distinct changes in the nutritional quality, phytochemical content, and antioxidant activity. The overall results propose that grilling appears the best cooking method to retain nutrients in edible A. odoratus mushrooms.