Quantitative Investigation of Proximate, Mineral, and Amino Acid Composition of Ganoderma sichuanense

Abstract

Ganoderma sichuanense is a mushroom commonly used in traditional medicine, but information on its nutritional profiles remains insufficient. This study aimed to determine the quantitative proximate, mineral, and amino acid compositions of Ganoderma sichuanense. Proximate analysis, including the determination of carbohydrate, protein, crude fibre, fat, ash, and moisture content, was performed in accordance with the methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Mineral concentrations in the dried mushroom samples were quantified using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), whereas amino acid profiles were assessed employing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The proximate result showed that Ganoderma sichuanense had the highest carbohydrate content (57.99±0.787%), followed by moisture content (10.66±0.399%), fat (10.44±0.442%), crude fibre (9.09±0.202%), ash (7.36±0.219%) and crude protein content (4.47±0.352%). Considerable amounts of magnesium (6.012±0.044 ppm), potassium (4.852±0.018 ppm), sodium (3.782±0.087 ppm), and calcium (7.167±0.117 ppm) were recorded, while arsenic and silver were totally absent in the sample. Isoleucine, an essential amino acid, recorded the highest amino acid content (22.665 ppm), followed by threonine (13.595 ppm) and valine (8.527 ppm), while proline, a nonessential amino acid, recorded the highest amino acid content (15.746 ppm), followed by alanine (15.665 ppm) and glycine (11.867 ppm). The findings indicate that daily intake of Ganoderma sichuanense would be essential for the correct functioning of the body due to its rich contents in carbohydrates, proteins, fibres, amino acids, and minerals.