Free fatty acid composition of Ramaria aurea (Schaeff.) Quél.

Ramaria aurea (Schaeff) Qu?l., known as the golden coral, is an edible mushroom with a worldwide distribution, but there are scarce data on its chemical composition. Free fatty acids (FAs) from this fungal species have never been analyzed before, although it is known that FAs are linked with key physiological and biochemical processes, and thus, they essential for the proper functioning of various ecosystems. Moreover, there are no literature data on the chemical composition of R. aurea from Serbia. Herein, we report on the GC-MS characterization of a diethyl-ether extract of R. aurea fruit bodies collected in the region of Mt. Mali Jastrebac (central Serbia), with the focus on the free FAs profile, investigated using a method of FA derivatization by diazomethane. The GC-MS analysis enabled the identification of around 60 components, among which more than a half were methyl esters of saturated and unsaturated FAs, comprising 88% of the total extract. The rather diverse and complex free FA profile of R. aurea was dominated by monounsaturated FAs (ca. 35% of the total extract) with oleic acid as the most abundant constituent (ca. 34%). Polyunsaturated and saturated FAs were present in almost equal amounts, ca. 26% and 24%, respectively. The major polyunsaturated FA was linoleic (ca. 26%), while the principal saturated FA was palmitic acid (ca. 15%). The content of total saturated and mono- and polyunsaturated FAs, as well their ratio, could be used as an indicator of the potential nutritional and medicinal use of this mushroom.