The Growing Popularity of Mushroom Products and the Importance of Testing Protocols

Mushrooms are a trending ingredient in the health and wellness market. They are gaining in popularity due to a wide range of potential health benefits: these fungi possess possible anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, brain, heart and health benefits, as well as immune and energy boosting properties.

Consumers are increasingly seeking out mushrooms as a daily supplement. While mushrooms have been used by our ancestors for millennia to treat all sorts of diseases, today’s health- conscious consumer looks for a convenient diet supplement.  Mushroom products are available in various forms, including powders, capsules, and extracts. Several mushroom varieties can be found in wellness products including Reishi (Ganoderma), Hericium (Lion’s Mane), Shiitake, Cordyceps, and Turkey Tail.

As with all supplements, consumers purchase products with the expectation of a health benefit, and assurance that the ingredients stated on the package match the ingredients in the product. Companies with transparent quality assurance practices employ testing protocols to provide this.

One of the biggest problems regarding testing for mushroom products is the accurate identification of the species of mushroom. There are many different species of mushrooms and even experts can have difficulty distinguishing between different species of mushrooms and it’s not limited to visual identification.

Another challenge in testing for mushroom products is the variability in the levels of active compounds, such as polysaccharides, terpenoids, and triterpenoids, that can be present in different samples of the same species of mushroom. This can make it difficult to establish consistent quality control standards for mushroom products and to accurately measure the potency of medicinal or nutritional compounds in these products.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is an accurate and reliable testing method for mushrooms.

NMR is a non-targeted and inherently quantitative analytical technique that is commonly used in chemistry and biology to determine the chemical composition of a sample.

NMR can identify the presence and concentration of specific molecules in a sample, providing detailed information on the product's composition. NMR works by placing a sample in a strong magnetic field, which causes the nuclei of the atoms in the sample to align. A pulse of radiofrequency energy is then applied to the sample, causing the nuclei to resonate and emit a signal that can be detected and analyzed. This signal provides information about the sample's chemical composition, allowing spectroscopists to identify the presence of specific molecules and the concentration of each component.

 It is also a powerful testing method for a few reasons: