Search

Food fraud is a problematic yet common phenomenon in the food industry. It impacts numerous sectors, including the market of edible mushrooms. Morel mushrooms are prized worldwide for their culinary and medicinal use. They represent a taxonomically complex group in which food fraud has already been reported. Among the methods to evaluate food fraud, some rely on comparisons of genetic sequences obtained from a sample to existing databases. However, the quality and usefulness of the results are limited by the type of comparison tool and the quality of the database used. The Centroid-based approach is applied by SmartGene in a proprietary artificial intelligence-based method for the generation of automatically curated reference databases that can be further expert curated. In this study, using sequences of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the genus Morchella (true morels), we compared this approach to the traditional pairwise alignment tool using two other databases: UNITE and Mycobank (MLST). The Centroid-based approach using an expert-curated database was more performant for the identification of 53 representative ITS sequences corresponding to validated species (83% accuracy, compared to 36% and 47% accuracy for UNITE and MLST, respectively). The Centroid method also revealed an inaccurate taxonomic annotation for sequences of commercial cultivars submitted to public databases. Combined with the web-based commercial software IDNS® available at Smartgene, the Centroid-based approach constitutes a valuable tool to ensure the quality of morel products on the market for actors of the food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The Centroid-based approach can be used by agri-food actors who need to identify true morels down to the species level without any prior taxonomical knowledge. These include routine laboratories of the food industry, food distributors, and public surveillance agencies. This is a reliable method that requires minimal skills and resources, therefore being particularly adapted for nonspecialists., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

The postharvest senescence of morels was observed to be easily affected by temperature fluctuations. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of various storage temperatures on the postharvest senescence of morels. The study evaluated the variations of water content, respiration, nutrients substances, cell membrane permeability, and volatile compounds in morels stored at 20 °C and 4 °C. Results showed that low-temperature storage suppressed the loss of water and firmness, delayed the time of respiration and ethylene peak, and reduced the loss of nutrients and cell membrane permeability. Furthermore, the content of volatile compounds increased and then decreased during storage. The characteristic aroma substances of 1-octen-3-ol were identified using odor activity values and OPLS-DA analysis. The study observed a decrease in the content and changes of aroma compounds during low-temperature storage. This decrease may be attributed to the decreased activities of lipoxygenase (LOX) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Morels are one of the most highly prized edible and medicinal mushrooms worldwide. Therefore, historically, there has been a large international interest in their cultivation. Numerous ecological, physiological, genetic, taxonomic, and mycochemical studies have been previously developed. At the beginning of this century, China finally achieved artificial cultivation and started a high-scale commercial development in 2012. Due to its international interest, its cultivation scale and area expanded rapidly in this country. However, along with the massive industrial scale, a number of challenges, including the maintenance of steady economic profits, arise. In order to contribute to the solution of these challenges, formal research studying selection, species recognition, strain aging, mating type structure, life cycle, nutrient metabolism, growth and development, and multi-omics has recently been boosted. This paper focuses on discussing current morel cultivation technologies, the industrial status of cultivation in China, and the relevance of basic biological research, including, e.g., the study of strain characteristics, species breeding, mating type structure, and microbial interactions. The main challenges related to the morel cultivation industry on a large scale are also analyzed. It is expected that this review will promote a steady global development of the morel industry based on permanent and robust basic scientific knowledge.

Morels are valuable mushrooms being used as foods and medical substances for a long history. The commonly cultivated morel species include M. eximia, M. importuna , and M . sextelata in China, M. conica and M. esculenta in the US. Morels' nutritional profile mainly consists of carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and organic acids, which are also responsible for its complex sensory attributes and health benefits. The bioactive compounds in morels including polysaccharides, phenolics, tocopherols, and ergosterols contribute to the anti-oxidative abilities, anti-inflammation, immunoprotection, gut health preservation, and anti-cancer abilities. This review depicted on the cultivation of morels, major bioactive compounds of different morel species both from fruit bodies and mycelia, and their health benefits to provide a comprehensive understanding of morels and support the future research and applications of morels as high-value functional food sources., Competing Interests: XZ and YL were employed by the company Bannerbio Nutraceuticals Inc. The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li, Chen and Zhang.)

Mushrooms have been well known for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine for their medicinal properties. Morchella esculenta (L.) Pers. (Morchellaceae) is a species of edible mushroom. Due to its distinctive and precise flavor, it has been used as a food and food-flavoring material in soups and sauces. It is one of the most medicinally important and economically beneficial wild species of mushroom. The fruiting body of M. esculenta contains a wide range of active constituents like vitamins, proteins, steroids, minerals, polysaccharides, and polynucleotides. M. esculenta and its active compounds possess significant cardiovascular protective, antitumor, immunomodulatory, antiparasitic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiviral, and antidiabetic properties. In this article, the mycochemical profile, nutritional values, and bioactivities of M. esculenta were reviewed., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Wild edible mushrooms (WEM) are economically significant and used in traditional medicines worldwide. The region of Jammu and Kashmir (Western Himalayas) is enriched with the diversity of edible mushrooms, collected by the rural people for food and income generation. This is the first detailed study on diversity and ethno-medicinal uses of mushrooms from the State of Jammu and Kashmir., Methods: Consecutive surveys were conducted to record ethnomycological diversity and socio-economic importance of wild edible mushrooms value chain in rural areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir during 2015-2019. Ethnomycological data were collected with a semi-structured questionnaire having a set of questions on indigenous mycological knowledge and collection and retailing of wild edible mushrooms. A total of 923 informants from the study area provided the results identifying the gender, type of mushroom species, medicinal uses, and marketing of mushrooms. Diversity of mushrooms was studied by using quadrat and transect methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were also applied to the dataset to analyse the relationship between species distribution, the underlying environmental factors, and habitat types. PCA identified the major species-specific to the sites and put them close to the sites of distribution., Results: A total of 131 mushroom species were collected and identified during 2015-2019 from the study area. Ninety-seven species of mushrooms were reported new to the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The dominant mushroom family was Russulaceae with 23 species followed by Agaricaceae, 16 species. Major mushroom species identified and grouped by the PCA were Coprinus comatus, Lactarius sanguifluus, Amanita fulva, Armillaria gallica, Lycoperdon perlatum, Lycoperdon pyriforme, and Russula creminicolor. Sparassis crispa, Pleurotus sp, and Laetiporus sulphureus were recorded most edible and medicinally significant fungi. Morels were also expensive and medicinally important among all harvested macro-fungal species. These were reported to use against common ailments and various health problems., Conclusions: Collection and retailing of WEM contribute to improving the socio-economic status, providing alternative employment and food security to rural people of the area. These mushrooms are used as a source of food and traditional medicines among the rural informants and could be used as a potential source of antibacterial and anticancer drugs in the future., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Wild-foraged mushrooms represent a natural resource that provides economic value to foragers through both market and nonmarket recreational channels. Despite the importance of non-timber forest resources for sustainable management of forestlands, little attention has been paid to who forages for wild mushrooms, why they choose to forage, where they go, and what economic value is generated. This report draws upon survey data from 78 foragers who are certified to sell their mushrooms and 85 noncertified foraging enthusiasts. Its goal is to understand foraging patterns and values for morels ( Morchella spp.) in the State of Michigan (USA). Most foragers spend fewer than 10 days each year foraging, and those who sell their morels are most likely to sell to local restaurants, pubs and bars, and informally to their friends. Certified foragers who choose to sell their morels sell for an average price of $36 per pound ($36/lb) for fresh black or yellow morels. Costs to supply fresh morels ranged widely among the 16 certified sellers who reported full cost details; over 70% of morels were supplied at costs below $30/lb, but some certified sellers incurred costs in the hundreds of dollars per pound. Recreational morel gatherers paid $43 to $335 per trip of foraging morels, with a median value of $93 per trip. Morel foragers also search for other mushrooms with oyster mushrooms ( Pleurtous spp.), chanterelles ( Cantharellus spp), hen-of the-woods ( Grifola frondosa ), and chicken-of-the-woods ( Laetiporus spp) being the most popular., (© The New York Botanical Garden 2022.)

Morels, fungi from the genus Morchella, are popular edible mushrooms. However, little knowledge of their asexual reproduction and inaccessible pure mitospores hamper illumination of their life cycle. Herein, we successfully induced conidiation, conidial germination and chlamydospore formation in pure culture of Morchella sextelata. Conidiation proceeded via four morphologically distinct stages: development of the conidiophore stalk, stalk branching, phialide differentiation, and conidium production. Terminal and intercalary chlamydospores were formed on conidial hyphae. The development of conidiophores occurred earlier, with more conidia produced, in cross-mating cultures than in single-spore cultures. Mature conidia were spherical and 2.5-8 μm in diameter, with a vast majority (nearly 99%) 2.5-5 μm in diameter. Each conidium contained one to three nuclei (80.2% conidia contained one nucleus, 19.1% contained two nuclei, and 0.7% contained three nuclei). The conidial nucleus diameter was 1-2 μm. The nuclear mitosis in detached conidia that was observed may benefit their colony initiation. Additionally, morel conidia formed conidial anastomosis tubes. Conidia (mitospores) likely not only function as spermatia, but also as reproductive propagules in Morchella. Further research is imperative to elucidate the relationship between the conidia and chlamydospores, and their unique function in the morel life cycle., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Plants and mushrooms bioconcentrate metals/metalloids from soil and water such that high levels of potentially neurotoxic elements can occur in cultivated and wild species used for food. While the health effects of excessive exposure to metals/metalloids with neurotoxic potential are well established, overt neurological disease from prolonged ingestion of contaminated botanicals has not been recognized. However, the presence of metal elements may affect levels of botanical neurotoxins in certain plants and mushrooms that are established causes of acute and chronic neurological disease.

In present study, total phenolic compound, antioxidant activities and fatty acids of several Morchella species collected from different regions of Turkey were determined. Six species were detected, namely Morchella dunalii (HT562), M. purpurascens group (HT565, HT592, HT662, HT699), M. deliciosa (HT682), M. mediterraneensis (HT698), M. importuna (HT667, HT681) and M. esculenta (HT704). The highest phenolic content was determined in the collection numbered as HT565 (281.96 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight), followed by HT699, HT562, HT662, HT592, HT698, HT704, HT681, HT667 and HT682. Antioxidant activities were also evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assays and the maximum (0.51 and 1.04 mmol trolox equivalent (TE)/g dry weight respectively) was observed in HT565. The results for the fatty acids composition showed that assessed Morchella species were rich in nutritionally important unsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and myristic acid were the identified compounds. Linoleic acid was the most common in samples like HT565, HT592, HT704, HT662, HT682 and HT667 and followed by oleic acid except in HT565. In HT681, HT698, HT699 and HT562, oleic acid was dominant and followed by linoleic acid. The ratios of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids were calculated as 10.79, 4.78, 6.80, 8.09, 6.67, 4.35, 8.70, 8.64, 7.90 and 7.43 in HT562, HT565, HT592, HT662, HT667, HT681, HT682, HT698, HT699 and HT704 respectively. The sampling locations and species of Morels had influenced the bioactivities and fatty acid compositions of specimens., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no Conflict of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2020.)

The antimicrobial properties of morel compounds from wild edible mushrooms (Morchella esculenta and Verpa bohemica) from Kashmir valley was investigated against different clinical pathogens. The butanol crude fraction of most popular or true morel M. esculenta showed highest 19 mm IZD against E.coli while as same fraction of Verpa bohemica exhibited 15 mm IZD against same strain. The ethyl acetate and butanol crude fractions of both morels also exhibited good antifungal activity with highest IZD shown against A. fumigates. The three morel compounds showed quite impressive anti bacterial and fungal activities. The Cpd 3 showed highest inhibitory activity almost equivalent to the synthetic antibiotics used as control. The MIC/MBC values revealed the efficiency of isolated compounds against the pathogenic strains. In the current study significant inhibitory activity of morel compounds have been obtained paying the way for their local use from ancient times., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Morchella (morel) includes prized edible and medical mushrooms in the world. Since 2012, commercial cultivation of morels in the field has developed rapidly in China. However, coupled with the rapid expansion of morel cultivation, diseases have been become serious threats to morel production. White mold is one of the most serious diseases on cultivated morels. This study aimed to confirm this pathogen by following Koch's postulates, and to identify it using molecular evidence. Our results indicated that healthy Morchella fruiting bodies inoculated with Paecilomyces sp. isolates produced typical white mold symptoms, and the internal transcribed spacer sequences of the Paecilomyces sp. were 99% similar to that recovered from an epitype of Paecilomyces penicillatus. Therefore, P. penicillatus was considered to be the causative agent of white mold. White mold occurred from the initial harvest to the storage and preservation process, and it produced white mold-like symptoms on the caps and stripes of Morchella. This is the first time that white mold has been reported on cultivated Morchella., (© FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Morels are wild edible ascomycetous mushrooms that are highly prized because of their medicinal and nutritional qualities. Ligninolytic enzymes are considered as one of the most important enzymes in fungi due to their involvement in fruiting body formation during artificial cultivation on different substrates. In the life cycle of morels, sclerotia are the intermediate stage to form a fruiting body from mycelia. We have studied the production of ligninolytic enzymes by Morchella crassipes MR8 growing on different substrates and during sclerotia formation. This fungus is able to produce ligninolytic enzymes such as laccase (Lac), lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) when grown on different substrates. Maximum Lac activity was observed when grown in wheat grains whereas maximum activities of MnP and LiP were observed when grown in rice straw. Laccase enzyme was produced in high titers during sclerotia formation and maturation when grown in combinations of soil and substrates. A large number of sclerotia was observed in soil and wheat grains, along with high titers of laccase. Cellulase activity was observed to be constant during sclerotia formation and maturation. The present study results suggest that laccase enzyme might play an important role in sclerotia formation in morels., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

An abundant fruiting of a black morel was encountered in temperate northwestern New South Wales (NSW), Australia, during a mycological survey in Sep 2010. The site was west of the Great Dividing Range in a young, dry sclerophyll forest dominated by Eucalyptus and Callitris north of Coonabarabran in an area known as the Pilliga Scrub. Although the Pilliga Scrub is characterized by frequent and often large, intense wildfires, the site showed no sign of recent fire, which suggests this species is not a postfire morel. Caps of the Morchella elata-like morel were brown with blackish ridges supported by a pubescent stipe that became brown at maturity. Because no morel has been described as native to Australia, the collections were subjected to multilocus molecular phylogenetic and morphological analyses to assess its identity. Results of these analyses indicated that our collection, together with collections from NSW and Victoria, represented a novel, genealogically exclusive lineage, which is described and illustrated here as Morchella australiana T. F. Elliott, Bougher, O'Donnell & Trappe, sp. nov.