Proximate Composition, Minerals and Amino Acid Composition of a Two Edible Mushroom Termitomycetes microcarpus and T. heimii

Mushrooms are balanced food and good source of proteins, amino acids and minerals. The mushrooms were harvested fresh, sun dried, pulverized and analyzed according to standard procedure. Proximate analysis showed higher level of protein (30.43 and 26.77 %), crude fibre (9.09 and 10.83%), carbohydrates (34.35 and 33.3%), ash (9.1 and 7.1%), and low fat (3.27 and 2.11%s). The mushroom was also found to contain variable amount of minerals. Mineral analysis of both species indicated the presence of potassium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus and iron. The most abundant component of the essential amino acid and non-essential amino acids were histidine (11.57 and 10.58mg/g) and glutamic acid (10.39 and 11.11 mg/g) are present in both species. Mushrooms are popular food all over the world. These findings showed that the mushrooms are the good source of nutritive food.