Effects of Drying Methods on Active Component Content and Antioxidant Activity of Fruiting Bodies of Cultivated Sanghuangporus vaninii (Agaricomycetes)

This study investigated the effects of different drying methods, including sun drying (SD), hot air drying (HAD), and vacuum freeze drying (VFD), on the content of active components (total water-soluble polysaccharides, total triterpenoids, total flavonoids, and total phenols) and on the antioxidant activity (evaluated by ABTS and FRAP assays) of the fruiting bodies of <i>Sanghuangporus vaninii</i> cultivated on a sawdust substrate. The results showed that the drying method had a significant effect on total water-soluble polysaccharide content (P < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed in the contents of total flavonoids, total phenols, or total triterpenoids, nor in antioxidant activity. Overall, the contents of total water-soluble polysaccharides, total phenols, and total flavonoids, as well as antioxidant capacity (ABTS and FRAP), consistently exhibited the order: VFD > SD > HAD. In contrast, the total triterpenoid content was slightly higher in SD samples than in those dried by VFD and HAD. Based on these findings, VFD is recommended as the optimal drying method for sawdust-cultivated <i>S. vaninii </i>fruiting bodies. This study provides empirical support for selecting appropriate drying techniques in the post-harvest processing of this medicinal mushroom.