The results obtained for the quantification of free sugars are
presented in Table 1. The free sugars found in C. militaris were
mannitol (2.01 g/100 g dw) and trehalose (24.71 g/100 g dw), this
one in higher quantities. Mannitol is the most abundant polyol in
the sporocarps of Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes (former classification;
Lewis and Smith, 1967). This sugar alcohol arises in the
available literature as one of the compounds of C. militaris with
pharmacological activity, holding diuretic, anti-tussive and
free-radical activities (Paterson and Russel, 2008; Das et al.,
2010). Trehalose is a common sugar component of most immature
sporocarps and it may function as a reserve which is metabolized
when the sporocarps are maturing (Koide et al., 2000). The levels
found (of both polyol and sugar) are in agreement with other studies