Comparison of Cooking Methods on Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of the Black Jelly Mushroom, Auricularia polytricha (Heterobasidiomycetes)

• Published in: International journal of medicinal mushrooms
• Main Author: Shamaruddin N.; Tan E.T.T.; Shin T.Y.; Razali R.M.; Siva R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: NLM (Medline) 2021
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85113889275&doi=10.1615%2fIntJMedMushrooms.2021038812&partnerID=40&md5=4f7c04ce3fc6d708857a943c471f95f3

Black jelly mushroom (Auricularia polytricha) is a well-known Chinese traditional food that has therapeutic effects. This study evaluated the effects of different cooking methods (boiling, steaming, microwaving, and stir-frying) on the physicochemical characteristics (i.e., total phenolic content, antioxidants, α,α-diphenyl-β-picryl-hydrazyl [DPPH] free radical scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]) along with color, texture, moisture, and sensory properties of black jelly mushrooms. Lightness (L*) was significantly lower for the stir-frying method (29.93) compared to the control (34.62). Stir-fried mushrooms had significantly lower firmness force (texture) and moisture content (80.13 N and 61.98%, respectively) compared to the control (2000.37 N and 86.52%). The steaming method contributed significantly higher total phenolic content (11.23 mg gallic acid equivalents/g) and antioxidant activity measured using the FRAP (33.54 mg Trolox equivalents/g) and DPPH (90.41% inhibition) assays compared to the respective controls.