ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND POLYPHENOLIC PROPERTIES OF RAW AND OSMOTICALLY DEHYDRATED DRIED MUSHROOM (AGARICUS BISPOROUS) SNACK FOOD

Total polyphenolics and free radical scavenging properties of extracts obtained from osmotically dehydrated, and spiced mushroom snack food with raw unprocessed mushrooms were studied. Sensorially acceptable mushroom snack was prepared in the laboratory by osmotically dehydrating Agaricus bisporous in 5% salt solution followed by addition of an adequate combination of spices and vacuum drying. The extracts of raw and dry snack-mushrooms were then evaluated for their scavenging activities against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and 2,2-azobis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS). The scavenging activity of free extracts of raw and dry snack mushrooms on DPPH radical were 76% and 72%, respectively. The ABTS radical scavenging activity of the free extracts of raw sample expressed as ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant activity (AEAC) was 2.76 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/100 g and 2.67 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/100 g snack mushroom. Both free and bound polyphenolic contents in mushroom snacks were slightly higher than raw mushrooms whereas total flavonoids levels decreased marginally. No change in antioxidants status of the dry snack product was observed when dry snack stored at ambient temperature for up to 15 days. The results of this study suggested that mushroom snacks prepared using a combination of the above methods was able to retain a significant amount of antioxidants, phenols and flavonoids and mushroom snacks may prove to be an alternative nutritious snack.