Nutritional Evaluation of Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) Mushroom at Different Growth Stages and Effect of Boiling on Antinutrient Components

The proximate composition, some mineral elements and antinutrients components of Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) mushroom at different growth stages (button, egg and mature) were determined using standard methods of analysis. The mature stage has the highest values of percentage crude protein (41.70± 0.01) and carbohydrate (43.62± 0.20) contents. The mineral elements analyses in mg/kg revealed that mature stage has highest values in Ca (42.64± 0.01), K (48.16± 0.20), Na (22.63± 0.10), Fe (8.70± 0.20) and Mg (34.84± 0.01) with least values in Zn (3.46± 0.10) and P (6.46± 0.01). The level of antinutrients (oxalates, phytates and tannins) in raw was reduced by boiling. Phytates in mg/100 g was found to be 40.27± 0.05 in raw mature sample which was reduced by boiling to 12.16± 0.01 (69.80% reduction). The same trend was obtained for oxalates and tannins components with 56.59% and 70.41% reduction respectively after boiling. The results of this work revealed that mature stage is more nutritious than those from button and egg stages especially in crude protein and mineral elements. Boiling was found to be a means of reducing antinutrient components of the samples.