Comparative analysis of four edible mushrooms based on HPLC fingerprint and pattern recognition analysis

A high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) fingerprint method for the overall chemical analysis of edible mushrooms was established based on Auricularia heimuer for the first time, and then applied to analyze 60 batches of A. heimuer, Auricularia cornea, Auricularia cornea ʻYu Muerʼ and Tremella fuciformis. A total of 9 characteristic peaks of A. heimuer, 11 characteristic peaks of A. cornea, 6 characteristic peaks of A. cornea ʻYu Muerʼ, and 9 characteristic peaks of T. fuciformis were designated. Then, a combinatory analysis, including similarity evaluation, hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis, revealed the chemical consistency and difference between samples from the same and different species. The HPLC fingerprint method established in this paper could be used to characterize the components of A. heimuer, A. cornea, A. cornea ʻYu Muerʼ, and T. fuciformis and discriminate the 4 edible mushrooms effectively in combination with pattern recognition analysis.