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   Jul 11

Are YOUR mushrooms safe to eat? Dried fungi bought from a Chinese supermarket found to contain THREE unnamed species

Experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in south west London, sequenced the DNA of the mushrooms in the bag

They discovered three types of porcini new to science

Relatively little is known about the various types of cooking ingredient

The product was purchased in a small Chinese supermarket in London

Few people pop to the supermarket and discover a new species.

But DNA testing has revealed that three unnamed species of mushroom that are new to science have been found in a bag of dried porcini that came off a shop shelf in London.

While porcini mushrooms are served in many restaurants, relatively little is known about them scientifically.

Discovery in the bag: DNA testing has revealed that three unnamed species of mushroom have been found in a bag dried porcini (pictured) that came off a shop shelf in London

WHAT ARE PORCINI MUSHROOMS?

The porcini mushroom is a type of fungus in the genus Bolestus.

They can be found in Europe, Asia and North America and have only been introduced to the southern hemisphere relatively recently.

The mushrooms grow in deciduous and coniferous forests, typically enveloping a tree’s underground roots with sheaths of fungal tissue.

Porcini are popular in cooking – despite species unknown to science being traded internationally.

The mushrooms are low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Because they are quite difficult to cultivate all your round, they are often dried and packaged.

To explore the nature of the popular cooking ingredient, mycologists Bryn Dentinger and Laura Martinez-Suz of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in south west London, sequenced the DNA of a bag of dried Chinese porcini.

There were 15 pieces of mushroom in the bag and all them belonged to three unnamed species, indicating that experts know relatively little about the vast group of fungi.

Boletus is one of the most traded wild and edible mushroom in the world and many types are exported from China.

They can come from remote regions without any reliable identification, raising the spectre that some less palatable or even dangerous types could possibly slip through the net undetected.

Scientists have previously proved that unknown species of the edible mushroom are sold, but the experts from Kew said they were surprised that they found some so easily.

‘The finding demonstrates the ubiquity of unknown fungal diversity, even in traded products and the recognition of these species will enable better regulations to improve food safety and enable countries to adhere to international agreements on the exploitation of wild species,’ experts at Kew said.

Mysterious mushrooms: There were 15 pieces of mushroom in the bag and all them belonged to three unnamed species, indicating that experts know little about the vast group of fungi, even if they are widely used in cooking. A pasta dish is pictured

Could MUSHROOMS make up our future building materials

While mushrooms are most commonly used in cooking, some scientists think that they have the potential to save the world.

IS FUNGUS THE FUTURE?

Ascocoryne sarcoides can be used to make biofuel. Its volatile compounds are similar to those found in diesel and can turn dead leaf matter into fuel.

Laricifomes officinalis could be used to make a ‘universal insecticide’.

Mycelium from various mushrooms is a flexible polymer similar to plastic and can be used to make biodegradable materials.

Most of a mushroom’s power lies beneath the soil in a bundle of filaments called that mycelium that secrete enzymes capable of breaking down soil and rocks. They also produce potent chemicals to defend their territory, and release nutrients into the soil.

And it is this mycelium that is of predominant interest to mycologists, who believe mushrooms could be used to produce superior drugs and green materials of the future, New Scientist reported.

One microbiologist has developed a biofuel after discovering that a wood-decaying fungus called Ascocoryne sarcoides contains volatile compounds comparable to the type found in diesel fuels.

And Eben Bower, CEO of Ecovative, has created a flexible polymer-like plastic from fungus that is biodegradable and can be persuaded to grow in different densities to produce a variety of materials and properties. It is already used to make packaging and could be harnessed to make more permanent products in the future.

A company called Fungi Perfecti is working on making a ‘universal insecticide’ from a type of fungus called Lacrifomes officinalis.

Source: Daily Mail

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