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Mineral Composition and Quality Traits of Morchella spp. Harvested from Forest Plantations and Native Forests in South-Central Chile

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Overview

Escobar-Hernandez and colleagues measured mineral composition and potentially toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead) alongside essential trace elements (cobalt, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, zinc) in four Morchella species from contrasting forest environments in south-central Chile. Arsenic was not detected in any species under the analytical conditions of the study. Cadmium was detected in all four species, with M. andinensis showing the highest accumulation factor (AF greater than 1 for cadmium in all species). All cadmium concentrations remained within FAO/WHO human consumption guidance ranges. Lead was elevated in M. importuna (1.83 mg/kg dry weight, single high value) but most species were below 1 mg/kg dry weight.

Key numbers

Morchella ascocarp concentrations in mg/kg dry weight, mean plus or minus SD (n=3 per species; Table 3):

  • Arsenic: not detected in any of the four species.
  • Cadmium: M. eximia 1.13 ± 0.11, M. importuna 0.46 ± 0.14, M. tridentina 0.65 ± 0.13, M. andinensis 0.90 ± 0.04.
  • Lead: M. eximia 0.51 ± 0.00, M. importuna 1.83 ± 0.64, M. tridentina 0.37 ± 0.07, M. andinensis 0.80 ± 0.63.
  • Nickel: M. eximia 20.57 ± 9.98, M. importuna 7.44 ± 2.41, M. tridentina 7.62 ± 2.49, M. andinensis 10.07 ± 4.78.
  • Chromium: M. eximia 14.33 ± 3.19, M. importuna 13.88 ± 3.19, M. tridentina 5.63 ± 2.60, M. andinensis 4.13 ± 2.23.
  • Cobalt: M. eximia 0.27 ± 0.07, M. importuna 0.42 ± 0.08, M. tridentina 0.20 ± 0.07, M. andinensis 0.28 ± 0.05.
  • Cadmium accumulation factor (AF): all four species above AF = 1 (significant accumulation); M. andinensis approximately M. eximia greater than M. tridentina greater than M. importuna (Figure 2C).
  • Lead: only M. importuna showed accumulation (AF approximately 1.15); other species AF below 0.19.

Methods (brief)

Standard analytical methods for mineral analysis (not fully specified in pages reviewed). Soil samples collected from 0 to 20 cm at each site (n=5 composite subsamples). Accumulation factor calculated as ascocarp concentration divided by soil concentration. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD.

Evidence fitness

First study to report elemental composition and accumulation factors for formally identified Morchella species in the Southern Hemisphere. Small n (3 per species) and single-site collection per species limit generalizability, but species-level paired soil and ascocarp data are valuable. Arsenic non-detection below the analytical LOD does not exclude low-level arsenic. Cadmium values are dry weight; assuming approximately 90% moisture content in fresh morels, M. eximia 1.13 mg/kg dry weight is approximately 0.11 mg/kg fresh weight, below the EU ML of 0.20 mg/kg fresh weight for wild mushrooms.

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