Comparative Analysis of Bioactive Compounds of four edible Fungal Biomass by using GC-MS

This study investigates the comparative analysis of bioactive compounds in the mycelia of Hericium erinaceus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Ganoderma lucidum, and Agaricus bisporus, aiming to characterize their biochemical activities and highlight their economical cultivation, significant nutritional and medicinal properties. To achieve this, the selected mycelial samples were cultivated for 15-20 days on Potato Dextrose Agar under controlled conditions of temperature (25 ± 2 °C), ensuring optimal mycelial growth for subsequent morphological characterization and bioactive metabolite extraction. After cultivation, bioactive compounds were extracted and analysed using GC-MS, revealing 45 compounds in Hericium erinaceus, 43 in Pleurotus ostreatus, 52 in Ganoderma lucidum, and 62 in Agaricus bisporus respectively. Detailed morphological analysis using the lactophenol blue test revealed septate, branched, and clamp-connected hyphae, confirming typical Basidiomycete characteristics. Moreover, comparative analysis showed that, every mycelium is rich in polyunsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids mainly octadecanoic, linoleic, and palmitic acids which support heart health, lower cholesterol, and offer antimicrobial and emulsifying benefits, making them useful as food additives. This in-depth study not only confirms the bioactive compound in edible mycelia but also explore their nutritional value, underscoring their potential for future drug discovery, disease management, and functional food development. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative research integrating metabolomic profile with functional knowledge across these species and providing a valuable reference for future research and biotechnological applications.