Characterization of Vitamin B Complex Compositions and Exploration of Candidate Quality Markers in Mushrooms: Multivariate Analysis-Based Clustering

Background: This study evaluated the vitamin B complex (B1, B2, and B3) contentes in 17 cultivated mushroom species distributed in Korea using high-performance liquid chromatography. It also investigated the applicability of using B vitamins as quality indicators through multivariate statistical analysis. Methods and Results: The analytical method showed excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.999), accuracy (recovery 97.7-100.2%), and precision (RSD ≤ 2.8%). Among the analyzed vitamins, total niacin showed the highest content, particularly in king oyster and oyster mushrooms. Heatmap and principal component analyses revealed distinct clustering patterns among mushroom species based on vitamin B composition, and total niacin was identified as a major variable contributing to species differentiation. In addition, total niacin exhibited a low relative expanded uncertainty in major mushroom samples, supporting the analytical reproducibility and applicability of its use as a potential quality marker compound. Conclusions: Vitamin B composition patterns differ among cultivated mushroom species and total niacin may serve as a candidate quality marker for the compositional classification and quality assessment of mushrooms.