Firmness and biochemical composition of Shitake and Shimeji commercialized in natura and consumers' opinion survey

ABSTRACT Mushroom production has been growing in Brazil due to the culinary versatility of this food and its high nutritional value. However, few studies associating the aspects of its quality with the profile and preference of its consumers can be found in literature. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the firmness and biochemical composition of Shimeji and Shitake, as well as, the consumers’ profile and preference for purchasing these mushrooms. The mushrooms were characterized by firmness, protein and lipid content, total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids and antioxidation activity. In addition we carried out a survey on opinion of 308 mushroom consumers. The two mushrooms contain high protein content and low lipid content, and also expressive concentrations of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, suitable for these demanding functional food consumers. Shitake is approximately 4 times firmer than Shimeji and the highest levels for all analyzed biochemical attributes did not differ between the two studied mushrooms, except for protein content. The opinion survey indicated that young and adult women consume more mushrooms than men. Most of them buy mushrooms in supermarkets, and they are mostly higher educated people. No significant higher consumer preference for one of the two mushrooms analyzed was verified; however, most participants reported that they prioritize mushrooms which have characteristic aroma and flavor, smooth and juicy texture, being a convenient ingredient for a quick-cooking meal.

摘要 受食用菌烹饪用途多样且营养价值颇高的影响，巴西的食用菌产业规模持续扩张。然而，现有文献中鲜有将食用菌品质特征与消费者画像及消费偏好相结合的相关研究。鉴于此，本研究旨在评估蟹味菇（Shimeji）与香菇（Shitake）的质地硬度及生化组成，并探究消费者对这两类食用菌的购买画像与消费偏好。本研究通过质地硬度、蛋白质与脂质含量、总酚类化合物、总黄酮含量以及抗氧化活性这几项指标对两种食用菌进行表征。此外，本研究针对308名食用菌消费者开展了意向调研。两种食用菌均具备高蛋白、低脂质的特点，同时含有可观浓度的生物活性成分与抗氧化物质，适配对功能性食品有较高要求的消费群体。香菇（Shitake）的质地硬度约为蟹味菇（Shimeji）的4倍，除蛋白质含量外，两类食用菌的其余各项检测生化指标均无显著差异。意向调研结果显示，青年与成年女性的食用菌消费量高于男性。多数消费者选择在超市购买食用菌，且该群体整体受教育水平偏高。未发现消费者对两类受试食用菌存在显著的偏好差异；但多数受访者表示，他们会优先选择具备典型香气与风味、质地顺滑多汁的食用菌，这类食材是速烹餐食的便捷原料。