Assessment of the nutritional and phytochemical composition of selected mushroom species grown in Southern Nigeria

Mushrooms are increasingly gaining attention for their nutritional and therapeutic benefits due to their rich composition of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. However, all-encompassing integrative data on Calocybe indica, Ganoderma lucidum, and Pleurotus djamor grown in southern Nigeria is lacking. This study aims to provide a detailed, parallel evaluation of the nutritional and phytochemical composition of these mushroom species through a multidimensional analysis. The proximate, mineral, and phytochemical contents of the mushrooms were determined following standard analytical methods, while the metabolites were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The phytochemical, terpenoid, was of the highest level (2.25 ± 0.05 % to 15.91 ± 0.41 %), with Ganoderma lucidum having the highest value. In the GC-MS chromatograms of the methanol extracts of the mushrooms, the most prominent bioactive metabolites were cis–vaccenic acid (31.32 %) and n-hexadecenoic acid (27.75 %), ergosterol (28.02 %), and linoelaidic acid (37.83 %) for Calocybe indica, Ganoderma lucidum, and Pleurotus djamor, respectively. High amounts of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and ash were recorded for all the species, with Ganoderma lucidum having the highest fiber content of 34.85 ± 0.74 %. Mg, Ca, and Fe were significantly higher in Ganoderma lucidum, while K is at the highest level in Calocybe indica (30119.05 mg/kg). These findings suggest that these mushrooms are potent sources of vital nutrients, with Ganoderma lucidum having superior antioxidant relevance. This research provides an indispensable basis for mushroom choice, formulation of functional foods and nutraceuticals, and optimization of health-promoting characteristics of the studied mushrooms.