Blue light attenuated the umami loss of postharvest Lentinula edodes during spore discharge: Crucial roles of energy status.

From the paper

Abstract

Postharvest Lentinula edodes face significant umami quality decline during spore release. Light is a novel strategy for enhancing the flavor of edible mushrooms. This study investigated the effects of blue light (400-2000 lx) on mushroom spore release and umami quality and clarified the role of energy metabolism. Results showed that medium intensity light (800 and 1200 lx) delayed spore release and retained superior physiological qualities, including respiration rate, softening, weight loss and cap opening rate. Additionally, it attenuated the loss of umami nucleotides and amino acids by maintaining higher energy levels, leading to higher levels of equivalent umami concentration, taste activity value and perceived umami intensity. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis modeling confirmed the significant differences in umami quality and energy status among the various treatments. Overall, medium intensity light crucially delaying spore discharge and attenuating umami loss. This study provides new solutions for regulating postharvest mushrooms umami quality.