Content of biogenic amines and polyamines in some species of European wild-growing edible mushrooms

The content of eight biologically active biogenic amines and polyamines were determined in fruiting bodies of 17 species of wild-growing edible mushrooms picked during 3 consecutive years. An analytical procedure, using freeze-dried samples, derivatisation with dansyl chloride and HPLC quantification had to be adapted in its extraction step due to the slimy character of the analysed mushrooms. No histamine and cadaverine were determined. Tyramine and tryptamine occurred at very low levels, usually up to 5 mg kg(-1) fresh matter, whilst phenylethylamine contents varied widely from an undetectable level to 38 mg kg(-1). Putrescine was the amine of the highest content, sometimes exceeding 150 mg kg(-1) fresh matter, mainly in species of the family Boletaceae. The contents of spermidine were considerably higher than those of spermine, usually at levels of tens mg kg(-1) fresh matter and sporadically above 100 mg kg(-1). Thus, mushrooms are raw food materials with very high spermidine content. The highest spermidine levels occurred in spore-forming parts of fruiting bodies. In Xerocomus badius, statistically significant effects of the year of harvest, age and parts of the fruiting body and of their interactions on the contents of phenylethylamine, putrescine and spermidine were found.