Determination of the true density of chaga by gas picnometry in atmospheric air

The considerable interest in the study of chaga (Inonotus obliquus) as an extraction material is due to the unique chemical composition and a wide range of biologically active substances used in various industries. An important parameter reflecting the content of chaga substances in the volume is the true density or the cell wall density not given in the literature. The porous structure of the fungus and the irregular geometric shape of chaga determined the choice of gas pycnometry as a method to measure the true volume and the subsequent determination of chaga cell walls density. After critical analysis, an alternative, theoretically substantiated method for determining the true volume of a porous body in atmospheric air was proposed. The experimental data results were processed to determine the true density of chaga cell walls, which ranges from 1.411g/cm ³ to 1.588g/cm³. The maximum density was in the central part of the fungus. To the periphery of the fungus, there is a decrease in the cell wall density and the lowest density is at the point where the birch fungus adjoins the tree trunk.