Quality comparison of Gastrodia elata grown using artificial mushroom cultivation kits and traditional wood-based cultivation

Facing wild resource depletion, artificial cultivation of Gastrodia elata (G. elata) is crucial. This study compared traditional wood (TW) and artificial mushroom grow kits (AM) cultivation impacts on G. elata quality. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) showed similar gastrodin levels, but TW G. elata had higher 4-hydroxybenzylalcohol (0.05-0.16%) than AM G. elata (0.02-0.04%), while AM G. elata had more parishin E (0.90-1.58%) than TW G. elata (0.68-0.96%). AM G. elata exhibited elevated crude protein (8.86-10.57%) and stable total polysaccharides (38.91-39.90%), contrasting with TW G. elata. Umami amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid) were significantly higher in AM G. elata (6.03-7.37 mg/g, 1.24-1.88 mg/g). Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction coupled with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) identified thirteen differential volatile compounds, with AM G. elata showing increased esters and aromatics like (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol and tetramethylpyrazine, contributing sweet/meaty notes. TW G. elata was rich in decanal and (2E,4E)-deca-2,4-dienal, yielding citrus/chicken-like aromas. AM cultivation enhances G. elata's nutritional and aromatic profiles, supporting its refined application.