The Effect of UVB Irradiation on Vitamin D2 Content and Physical Characteristics of Blue Oyster Mushrooms ( Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus ) and Their Vitamin D2 Cooking Retention

Due to the public health issue regarding vitamin D deficiency and inadequacy, mushrooms have become an interesting, highly nutritious dietary source that contains vitamin D. One purpose of this study was to evaluate the UVB irradiation treatment of an unstudied species of blue oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus). In this study, vitamin D2 determinations were performed by using LC–MS/MS. The true retentions of vitamin D2 in cooked mushrooms using both a traditional method, stir-fried, and an untested modern method, air-fried, were also measured and calculated. The results showed that the UVB irradiation chamber made from a used reptile-habitat equipped with low-intensity UVB fluorescent light efficiently elevated the vitamin D2 content in blue oyster mushrooms to 291.3 ± 16.44 μg/100 g edible portion in the 90 min UVB irradiated group. True retentions of vitamin D2 in cooked mushrooms were 79.16% ± 1.88 for stir-fried mushrooms (95 °C, 5 minutes) and 62.28% ± 3.96 for air-fried mushrooms (160 °C, 15 min). In conclusion, irradiation treatments using a homemade UVB irradiation chamber could be used as a postharvest strategy for enhancing vitamin D2 content in blue oyster mushrooms and UVB-irradiated blue oyster mushrooms could play a crucial role in the alleviation of vitamin D deficiency at a household level.