Abstract: Two groups of shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) with different harvest times (early commercial maturity stage when cap is closed and later stage when cap is open) were stored at 15 ℃, and dynamic changes in cap opening, weight loss rate, respiratory intensity, moisture content, ascorbic acid content and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) were determined. Throughout the storage, the pileus diameter and respiratory intensity of shiitake mushroom with closed cap were 1.5 － 2.5 and 1.2 － 1.8 times higher than those of shiitake mushroom with open cap, respectively. At the end of the storage, moisture content of late-harvested shiitake mushroom was only half of that of earlyharvested shiitake mushroom, and the decline of ascorbic acid content was 21.8% higher than that of early-harvested shiitake mushroom. Furthermore, the activities of SOD, POD and CAT in early-harvested shiitake mushroom were always maintained at higher levels during the storage (P ＜ 0.05). The results show that early-harvested shiitake mushroom has better storage qualities and higher antioxidant ability in comparison with late-harvested shiitake mushroom.

Key words: Lentinus edodes, harvest time, storage quality, antioxidation, enzyme