Cardoncello

CARDONCELLO

(Pleurotus eryngii)

Organoleptic
properties

They have a fleshy and firm consistence with a genuine taste attributed to the sweet components that give them a nice and unique brushwood fragrance. Easily adaptable in the kitchen in all its application from the traditional and poor one to the most modern and sophisticated.

Functional
properities

Over the antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antiosteoporotic properties of these mushrooms have been demonstrated particular cholesterol-lowering and hypoglygemic properties. Actually in this kind of mushrooms has been isolated a compost called Lovastatin and other similar compounds, able to exercise a competitive inhibition against an enzyme destined for the synthesis of the endogenous cholesterol.

The high level and variety of the fibrous introduced in the Pleurotus Eryngii can contribute to the intestinal eubiosis which means to the correct balance and the operation of the intestinal microbiota, important for preventing pathologies.

Nutritional
properties

This species presents interesting nutritional and functional qualities because it has a good content of carbohydrates, proteins fibres and a low lipid content ( less than 1% of the fresh weight) which make it a strategic food in the prevention of cardiovascular pathologies. There are all the essential aminoacids with a predominance of glutamate, aspartate and arginine. Sugars like galactose, sorbitol and maltose are traceable in limited quantities, as the sodium content which is particularly reduced.

There are also significant vitamins concentrations ( C,A,B2,B1,B3 and D).

The quality and the quantity of proteins included in Pleurotus eryngii are more similar to those included in animal origin foods rather than those of vegetable origin. It’s full of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, copper and zinc. The ratio between unsaturated and saturated fat is 3:1.

Among the most represented polyunsatured fatty acids we have the linoleic acid (omega 6 fatty acid).