Chemical features and bioactivity of grain flours colonized by macrofungi as a strategy for nutritional enrichment

•Phenolic and antioxidant activity increased significantly in colonized grain flours.•Wheat flour with P. albidus showed the highest protein and amino acids contents.•Corn flour with A. fuscosuccinea showed the highest antioxidant activity.•Ergosterol, ergothioneine and lovastatin are present in colonized grain flours.•Colonized grain flours inhibit pancreatic lipase and α-glucosidase in vitro. Agaricus blazei, Auricularia fuscosuccinea and Pleurotus albidus mycelia were obtained in solid-state cultivation (SSC), using grains (brown rice, canjica corn and wheat) as raw material. Colonized grain flours were analysed for their nutritional, physical and physico-chemical characteristics and biological activity in vitro. Wheat flour with P. albidus showed higher values for protein (18.34 g/100 g), ergosterol (0.60 mg/g), mycelial biomass (183 mg/g) and total amino acids (58.34 mg/g). Corn flour with A. fuscosuccinea showed the highest total phenolic content (2.38 mg GAE/g), antioxidant activity in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (8.90 μmol TEAC/g) and 2,2′-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) (16.52 μmol TEAC/g) assay. Wheat flour with P. albidus were more effective at inhibiting of pancreatic lipase (74.5%) and of α-glucosidase (98.2%). In conclusion, grains colonized by macrofungi mycelia through SSC can enrich the nutritional value and the biological activity of the flours, which presents a potential for functional foods.