Exploring the Nutritional Value and Bioactive Potential of Craterellus cornucopioides (L.) Pers. as a Functional Food Source

Author: mycolabadmin
12/1/2025
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Summary

Black trumpet mushrooms from Romania have been found to contain high levels of beneficial compounds that protect cells from damage and fight harmful bacteria. The mushrooms showed strong antioxidant properties in laboratory tests and were effective against several disease-causing bacteria, though not against all types tested. These results suggest that black trumpets could be used as a natural supplement or food ingredient to support health and potentially help treat infections.

Background

Craterellus cornucopioides, commonly known as black trumpet mushroom, is an edible fungus from the Cantharellaceae family rich in bioactive compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and essential nutrients. Mushrooms have been traditionally used in Chinese medicine for centuries and are recognized as functional and nutraceutical ingredients with multiple biological activities. This study focuses on specimens from Romanian flora to explore their phytochemical variability and nutritional profile.

Objective

This study aimed to comprehensively explore the phytochemical variability, nutrient composition, and bioactive profile of Craterellus cornucopioides collected from Romanian regions. The research systematically evaluated nutritional composition, total polyphenol content, individual phenolic constituents, antioxidant potential using multiple complementary assays, and antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic organisms.

Results

CE3 extract exhibited the highest antioxidant potential across most tests, with high polyphenol content (28.74 mg GAE/g dw) and notable levels of gentisic and protocatechuic acids. All extracts displayed strong antioxidant properties in vitro with eight phenolic compounds identified including gallic acid, gentisic acid, and protocatechuic acid. Extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (MSSA, MRSA, Bacillus cereus) but demonstrated no activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Conclusion

Craterellus cornucopioides demonstrates promising nutritional, antioxidant, and antimicrobial potential supporting its classification as a functional food with applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. The high polyphenol content and consistent antioxidant activity across multiple assays confirm the bioactive properties of this under-explored mushroom species. The antimicrobial efficacy against pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria suggests potential therapeutic applications, though further in vivo studies are warranted.

Published in:Foods,
Study Type:Experimental/Laboratory Study,
Source: PMID: 41376059