Ergosterol assay for mushrooms

Why ergosterol?

Ergosterol is a sterol, specific to fungi, including yeasts and molds, as well as algae, lichens and corals. Ergosterol has been considered the ‘fungal sterol’ for almost 125 years. It is named after ‘ergot’ , the common name of members of the fungal genus Claviceps from which ergosterol was first isolated.

Ergosterol is a vital component of yeast and fungal cell membranes and serves the same function as cholesterol in animal cells.

The enzymes that make ergosterol in fungi have become important targets for drug delivery, with  certain antifungal drugs (eg ‘azoles’) developed as a result.

In human nutrition, ergosterol is a provitamin form of vitamin D2, exposure to UV light causes a chemical reaction that produces vitamin D2.  Mushrooms rich in ergosterol are thought to be the only vegetarian source of vitamin D.

All mushrooms contain varying levels of ergosterol which is why identification and quantification of ergosterol is appropriate for the analysis of mushrooms.

  • We can identify the presence of ergosterol using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) whereby we compare the test sample with a known ergosterol standard reagent producing a ‘fingerprint’ image.

    In addition, we can calculate the amount of ergosterol in a test sample using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS).    

Example of HPTLC ‘fingerprint’

Other mushroom assays include:

What our quality service offers:

  • quick testing in five to ten working days

  • ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory facility

  • state-of-the-art instruments

  • analysis by scientists in the UK.

Phone our expert, friendly team today

To speak to our expert, friendly team about ergosterol assay testing, please phone +44(0)1302986088 or email hello@adactmedical.com.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.