The effects of pre- and post-harvest development on mushroom tyrosinase

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Abstract
Tyrosinase activity and the content of phenols in the skin and flesh of mushroom sporophores were assayed during pre- and post-harvest development. Skin tissue has more non-latent tyrosinase activity and phenols than the flesh. Latent tyrosinase from both tissues can be activated by trypsin or sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Trypsin activation of skin tryosinase is significantly greater than by SDS, while SDS activates the flesh enzyme to a significantly greater extent. The degree of activation (the proportion of non-latent to fully activated activity) increases only during post-harvest development. The phenol content of the mushroom tissues is greater in the low-quality strain D649 than in the high quality U3. The relationships between tyrosinase activity and phenol level with mushroom quality are discussed.