Study on pyrogen in natural and cultivated edible mushrooms

We examined endotoxin and pyrogen contents in several kinds of natural and cultivated edible mushrooms, as well as some cultivated vegetables. According to the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 14th Ed., two types of endotoxin (gel-clot Limulus amebocyte lysate) test and the pyrogen test were performed using natural edible mushrooms collected in Aichi Prefecture and cultivated mushrooms and vegetables purchased at a market. The endotoxin contents of natural mushrooms were apparently higher than those of cultivated mushrooms or vegetables. The endotoxin contents in the cultivated mushrooms were slightly higher than those in the vegetables. Similar results were obtained in the pyrogen test.