Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Five Medicinal Mushrooms of the Genus <i>Pleurotus</i>

• Main Authors: Jan Stastny (Author), Petr Marsik (Author), Jan Tauchen (Author), Matej Bozik (Author), Anna Mascellani (Author), Jaroslav Havlik (Author), Premysl Landa (Author), Ivan Jablonsky (Author), Jakub Treml (Author), Petra Herczogova (Author), Roman Bleha (Author), Andriy Synytsya (Author), Pavel Kloucek (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2022-08-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Within the group of higher fungi, edible medicinal mushrooms have a long history of being used as food and in folk medicine. These species contain biologically active substances with many potential beneficial effects on human health. The <i>Pleurotus</i> genus is representative of medicinal mushrooms because <i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i> is one of the most commonly cultivated culinary mushrooms. In our study, we focused on lesser-known species in the genus <i>Pleurotus</i> and measured their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. We prepared extracts of the mushrooms and analyzed them using HPLC−HRMS, GC−MS, and ¹H-NMR. Significant differences in biological activities were found among the <i>Pleurotus</i> spp. extracts. A MeOH extract of <i>P. flabellatus</i> was the most active as a radical scavenger with the highest ORAC, while a chloroform extract had significant anti-inflammatory COX-2 activity. The 80% MeOH extract of <i>P. flabellatus</i> contained the highest amounts of ergosterol, ergothioneine, and mannitol. The 80% MeOH extract of <i>P. ostreatus</i> Florida was the most active in the NF-κB inhibition assay and had the highest content of β-glucans (43.3% by dry weight). Given the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of <i>P. flabellatus</i>, the potential therapeutic usefulness of this species is worth evaluating through in-depth investigations and confirmation by clinical trials.

Item Description

10.3390/antiox11081569
2076-3921