## 3 Results and Discussion  
### Proximate Composition  
This study aims to utilise edible mushrooms as a functional ingredient for food products, as there are reported studies on the underutilisation of this ingredient [34,35]. Edible mushrooms are considered a superfood that is highly nutritious, low in calories and possesses other biological compounds beneficial to human health [36,37]. The proximate composition of WEM powder is shown in Figure 1, where the highest composition is a carbohydrate, followed by crude fibre, moisture, protein, ash, and fat. The fat content of WEM powder was the lowest as all edible mushrooms are well-known for the low fat content (\(\leq\)5% dry weight) and were the least nutritive constituents [38]. The moisture content of dry WEM powder was 9.76 \(\pm\) 0.09% which is consistent with earlier studies that reported the moisture content of dried _Auricularia_ species ranged between 6 to 15% [39,40]. Most fresh edible mushrooms, including _Auricularia_ species, are high in moisture (85-94%), thus providing WEM with a unique gelatinous and smooth texture, but highly perishable [41,42]. Besides mushroom variety, environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and post-harvest condition, can also influence the moisture content [43]. Therefore, most commercial WEM was dried to inhibit microbial and enzymatic activities while improving shelf-life stability [41]. The dried, hard, and brittle WEM can be rehydrated for consumption without altering the flavour and texture. The ash content recorded in the present study (2.40 \(\pm\) 0.03%) was slightly lower than previous studies (3 to 9% dry weight) for cultivated _Auricularia_ species in China and India [44,45]. One of the primary factors influencing ash content is the substrate where edible mushrooms grow, which may vary depending on the cultivation technique. Moreover, the substrate composition can differ in organic matter content, pH, and metal concentration [46]. Thus, the ash content of cultivated mushrooms tends to be lower than wild mushrooms, as the latter grows in a nutrient-rich environment [47,48]. Nevertheless, the ash content of cultivated mushrooms can be improved via substrate modification [39]. Mushrooms absorb minerals from the ecosystem through bioaccumulation, hence, promoting the ash content in both wild and cultivated mushrooms [27]. Additionally, climate differences and genetic  
Figure 1: The proximate composition of WEM (_A. cornea_) powder on a dry weight basis was expressed as means \(\pm\) standard deviation (\(n=3\)), WEM = wood ear mushroom. factors could alter the ash content of mushrooms [46]. Regardless of whether cultivated or wild, the ash content of edible mushrooms is higher or comparable to most vegetables [47]. The protein content of WEM in the present study was in line with _A. polytricha (7.2%)_ grown in Vietnam but lower than _A. auricular_ (11.38%) from China [43; 45]. In addition, the protein content of _Auricularia_ species was lower than other edible mushroom species, such as oyster and shitake mushrooms (wild or cultivated) as reported in a previous study [49]. The difference in protein content might be caused by the mushroom species and strain, the development of the fruiting body, substratum, and location [50]. Furthermore, recent findings reported that there is a significant difference in crude protein content between wild and cultivated mushrooms [39; 50]. The WEM powder is high in carbohydrates (42.21 \(\pm\) 1.71%), which agrees with the study conducted by [PERSON] et al. (28.38-82.8%) [45]. The carbohydrate content may vary between species, but up to 70% of total carbohydrate content were non-digestible polysaccharides in mushrooms, thus, diminishing fungi as the primary source of energy [51]. In this study, the fibre content of cultivated WEM powder (37.96 \(\pm\) 1.63%) was higher than in a previous study (2.11-15.32% dry weight) [49].