Phenolic profile of seventeen Portuguese wild mushrooms

Analysis of phenolic compounds in seventeen Portuguese wild mushroom species was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric and cinnamic acid were found and quantified. Fistulina hepatica showed the highest phenolic acids concentration (111.72 mg/Kg, dw) due to the significant contribution of protocatechuic (67.62 mg/Kg) and p-hydroxybenzoic (41.92 mg/kg) acids. The edible mushrooms analysed could be directly used in the human diet to combat oxidative stress, while inedible species could represent a source of extractable phenolic compounds to be used as additives in the food industry or as components in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations, due to their well-known antioxidant properties.