Interplay between experimental and numerical approaches in botanical studies: development of a hybrid REC inverse method with application in mycology

A REC model (Rate Estimation from Concentrations) numerical procedure was adapted in order to estimate the production rate of selected fatty acids in some mushroom species. The production as well the distribution of these target compounds was evaluated at whole mushroom bodies as well at its different anatomical compartments. These new numerical procedure was tested with some artificial tests as well with multiple real measurements of fatty acids from all anatomical compartments of studied mushroom species. Fatty acids analyses from mushroom samples were done on gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) system after a derivatization step. The amount of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from mushroom body samples ranged between 0.5 – 29.4 ng⋅kg -1 dry weights. Obtained results showed that this adapted numerical approach is optimal to estimate robust and reasonable rate and distribution profiles for relative concentration measurements of fatty acids, uncertainty being no larger than 10 %.