Mineral biofortification in edible macrofungi enhances nutrient enrichment pathways and functional nutritional potential

Biofortification of edible mushrooms has emerged as a sustainable and efficient strategy to enhance dietary intake of essential minerals and address global micronutrient deficiencies. Mushrooms naturally possess strong mineral uptake and biotransformation abilities, allowing effective enrichment with selenium, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D₂ through substrate supplementation, UV exposure, and emerging nanoparticle-assisted or green synthesis approaches. These methods, which integrate optimized spawn production, substrate engineering, and controlled cultivation conditions, significantly increase mineral accumulation and improve bioavailability, with selenium-, zinc-, and iron-enriched Pleurotus and Agaricus species showing the highest efficiency. Biofortification also enhances the biosynthesis of phenolics, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and antioxidant enzymes, resulting in improved antioxidative, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial properties. Multi-mineral combinations such as Se + Zn or Zn + Fe further strengthen these functional effects through synergistic interactions. Although translational findings and preliminary human studies indicate promising nutritional and therapeutic potential, large-scale clinical validation and regulatory standardization remain limited. Overall, mineral-enriched mushrooms represent a promising functional food approach, offering a natural, economical, and scalable pathway to improve nutritional quality, strengthen health outcomes, and contribute to global food and micronutrient security.