Pioppino mushroom in southern Italy: an undervalued source of nutrients and bioactive compounds

What is it about?

Agrocybe aegerita, commonly known as Pioppino, is a popular edible mushroom, known in the Campania Region (Italy). Despite its habitual consumption, little nutritional and biochemical information is available. Thus, nutritional values, anti-radical properties and chemical composition of the wild Pioppino were compared to those of the cultivated Agaricus bisporus known as Champignon, equally analysed.

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Why is it important?

Agrocybe aegerita, commonly known as Pioppino, is one of the most delicious, fragrant and popular edible mushrooms, whose wild availability is strongly compromised by the extensive use of fungicides. The comparison of nutritional values between Pioppino and cultivated Champignons clearly indicates that wild Pioppino, collected in a rural area of the Campania Region, is a rich source of nutrients, especially amino acids, malic acid and sugars.

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