A comparative study of physicochemical and functional properties of pickled mushrooms subjected to conventional and modern pretreatment methods.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different pretreatment methods (conventional blanching, blanching with additives, ultrasound, and microwave) and fermentation on the physicochemical and biochemical properties of pickled mushrooms. Results showed that ultrasound-treated samples exhibited higher pH values, while conventional blanching and blanching with additive better preserved hardness, color, and protein content. Total phenolic content (TPC) of pickled mushrooms ranged from 267.94 to 483.12 µg GAE/g, and total flavonoid content (TFC) from 183.75 to 275.15 µg QE/g, both lower than in raw mushrooms. The highest TPC, DPPH (161.00 µg TE/g), and ABTS (390 µg TE/g) values were determined in ultrasound-treated samples (37 kHz, 3 minutes, 40 °C), while the highest FRAP value (181.61 µg TE/g) was recorded in microwave-treated samples (30 seconds, 180 W). Brine samples showed similar trends. Strong positive correlations were found between TPC and antioxidant activities in both pickles and brines (r=0.919-0.976), suggesting that ultrasound and microwave pretreatments are more effective in preserving phenolic compounds and enhancing antioxidant capacity.