Maede Shahiri Tabarestani - Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Edible mushrooms contain minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids for the human body. These are used as raw, dried with antitumor, antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are important compounds that can protect health by damping active oxygen and free radicals which are produced abundantly in the body. Storage conditions and shelf life for antioxidants are very important for biological activities. Antioxidants and phenolic compounds are affected by storage conditions such as temperature. So, by determining the optimal temperature and storage conditions, it is possible to reduce the losses of different bioactive compounds and increase the shelf life of mushrooms. One of the most important processes after harvesting is drying in order to enhance the quality and durability of the products. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective drying method to keep the antioxidant properties of the mushroom. Based on the resource review, among different drying methods, the maximum and minimum antioxidant capacity was reported in microwave and oven methods, respectively. For drying of medicinal mushrooms such as Shiitake Lentinula and similar them the microwave method is proposed.

Antioxidants, Edible mushrooms, Medicinal mushrooms