Mushroom of the agaricaceae family. The cap is 4-8 cm in diameter, in young mushrooms it is spherical, later convex or flat, silky white, in mature mushrooms – with a brownish tint, bare or with inconspicuous pressed scales; the plates are free, at first pink, then they retain their flesh-red color for a long time, in old mushrooms they are chocolate-brown and even black. The spore mass is purplish-brown. The leg is dense, the color of a small cap, 3-7 cm high and 1-1.5 cm thick, with a thin white unstable ring in the upper part. The pulp is white, with a pleasant smell of freshly cut wood, turns pink when cut, especially in the upper part of the stem.
Spread. Common porcini grows throughout Ukraine on pastures and meadows, in gardens, fields and virgin steppes. Selective varieties are cultivated in specialized farms, sold as an edible mushroom.
Procurement and storage . Mushrooms are harvested in June – October. They are used fresh, dried, salted and marinated in reserve.
Chemical composition . Fresh mushroom pulp contains the antibiotic campestrin, about 6% of proteins, including about 5% digestible, carbohydrates, fibrin and mineral compounds (up to 1%).
Pharmacological properties and use . Common mushroom has disinfectant properties, and campestrin isolated from the fruiting body of the mushroom has a harmful effect on staphylococcus aureus, typhoid and paratyphoid bacilli. Campestrin is not toxic and shows a noticeable therapeutic effect in the treatment of typhoid patients.