A comparative study of the phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential of Morchella elata Fr. and Morchella esculenta (L).Pers.

Wild, edible lamb's ear mushrooms (Morchella spp.) are highly nutritious and have a distinctive aroma, making them popular worldwide. This study compared the nutritional composition and bioactive constituents of Morchella elata Fr. and Morchella esculenta (L.) Pers. collected from the province of Artvin in the Eastern Black Sea region of Türkiye. The dry matter content was approximately 18% in both species. Color analysis indicated that M. elata exhibited significantly lower Hunter L values (16.00), reflecting a darker appearance compared to M. esculenta (41.66 ± 0.31). Crude protein content was 24.85 ± 0.50 g/100 g DW in M. elata and 31.14 ± 0.50 g/100 g DW in M. esculenta. The total phenolic compound content was significantly higher in M. elata (15.76 ± 0.56 mg GAE/g DW) than in M. esculenta (7.41 ± 0.17 mg GAE/g DW). The antioxidant capacity of the methanolic extracts was measured using the FRAP and DPPH methods, and M. elata emerged as superior in that regard. HPLC-PDA analysis results revealed that M. elata is rich in protocatechuic acid and t-cinnamic acid, while M. esculenta has higher epicatechin, pinocembrin, and chrysin contents. The findings suggest that the dark-colored M. elata species may be more valuable than M. esculenta in terms of antioxidant capacity.