EFFECT OF SOME MATERIALS IN IMPROVING STORABILITY OF WHITE MUSHROOM (Agaricus biosporus) .

Abstract

A study was carried out at the Cold Storage Unit, Horticulture Department, Agriculture College, Baghdad University and AL-Hameedia’s Company for White Mushroom Production, Ramadi during 2004 and 2005 years. The experiment, included study the effect of some materials in improving the storability of white button mashroom. Results showed that dipping of mushroom fruit bodies in 40g/l of ascorbic acid significantly reduced percentage of weight loss to 0.47% compared with other treatments after 3 days of storage period. However, after 7 days of storage all treatments (except 20g/l of ascorbic acid) significantly reduced weight loss percentage, while it was significantly increased to 3.18% in the control treatment. In the second experiment treatments of both 5 and 10% of Bitter orange juice, significantly reduced weight loss to 0.10% after 9 days of storage period but, after 18 days of storage 40g/l citric acid reduced weight loss to 0.48% with no significant differences. In the first experiment, the preservative compound had a significant effect on decrease percentage of fruit bodies decay. Each of 5% sour orange juice, 40g/l citric acid, beside 40g/l Ascorbic acid had significantly decreased decay percentage to 22.94, 29.88 and 37.92% respectively, while decay increased significantly to 84.14% in the control treatment. In the second experiment each of 20, 40g/l citric acid, 40g/l of ascorbic acid,20 beside 40g/l of EDTA significantly prevented any kind of decay. Meanwhile, 5% Bitter orange juice, significantly maintained a high protein percentage 26.56%, while it decreased significantly in the control treatment to 18.99%. Dipping mushroom fruits bodies in 40g/l of citric acid, significantly increased Ortho Dihydric Phenols compound to 12.45g/l, while this compound significantly decreased to 9.35g/l in the control treatment. In the second experiment, EDTA at 20g/l caused significant increase in the Ortho Dihydric Phenols content to 10.20g/l, While it significantly decreased in the control treatments to 8.01g/l.