Effect of heat treatments of Lentinula edodes mushroom on eritadenine concentration

High cholesterol levels in blood are a risky factor on the human health. Lentinula edodes mushroom produce the 2(R), 3(R)-dihydroxy-4-(9-adenil)-butyric acid, eritadenine. This compound showed hypocholesterolemic effect on rats and humans. In this work, the eritadenine (EA) concentration was quantified by HPLC from treated mushrooms by several heat treatments: drying, as first treatment followed by cooking treatments as boiling, autoclaving, hot water bath, frying, and roasting treatments. It was found that the EA concentration increased from 1.2 (100 °C with subsequent boiling for 5 min) to 1.9 times in dried mushroom at 4 and 60 °C compared with the fresh mushrooms. The water used for the boiling process of the mushrooms also presented the compound, eritadenine (5.6–16.6 mg/100 g dry mushroom). It was found that, a long exposure to temperature by roasting and frying processes showed a negative effect on the EA concentration. These results provide interesting alternatives for the conservation and processing of the mushroom and preservation of its properties.