Blue-Light Exposure Enhances Productivity, Total Phenolic Content, and Sensory Attributes in Edible Mushrooms: A...

Cultivated mushrooms are increasingly recognized as sustainable food resources and strategic components of global food security and circular economy systems because of their high nutritional and nutraceutical value, desirable sensory characteristics, and capacity to transform lignocellulosic residues into high-value food products. This study evaluated the effects of blue-light exposure during cultivation on productivity, morphology, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and sensory attributes of two wild edible mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus and Neolentinus ponderosus) and three commercial species (Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus djamor, and P. ostreatus) cultivated on oak sawdust-based substrate. Sensory characterization was performed using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) methodology with a semi-trained panel. Blue light significantly increased biological efficiency in a species-dependent manner, with the strongest responses observed in P. djamor (428%), P. ostreatus (122%), and H. erinaceus (43%). Blue-light exposure promoted normal fruiting body development and pigmentation, while cultivation in darkness resulted in elongated stipes, reduced pigmentation, and poorly differentiated basidiocarps, particularly in P. djamor. CATA and hedonic analyses successfully discriminated sensory differences among species and cultivation conditions. Blue-light exposure increased TPC in N. ponderosus and reduced it in P. ostreatus, whereas antioxidant activity showed only minor variations among incubation conditions. Collectively, the results demonstrate that incubation under blue light, relative to darkness, modulates morphological traits, TPC content, and sensory attributes, highlighting its potential as a practical tool for optimizing the production for targeted market segments.