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Mushrooms as Possible Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Agents

Summary

This research investigated the potential health benefits of three edible mushroom species as natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. The study found that these mushrooms contain powerful compounds that can fight harmful free radicals and inhibit the growth of various bacteria and fungi. This has important implications for both food preservation and medical treatments. Impacts on everyday life: • Could lead to new natural food preservatives to replace artificial additives • May help develop new natural medicines for treating infections • Provides scientific support for including these mushrooms in a healthy diet • Could help reduce reliance on synthetic antioxidants in food and medicine • Suggests new ways to prevent food spoilage naturally

Background

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen metabolism that can cause extensive damage to cells and tissues at high concentrations, leading to various degenerative disorders. While synthetic antioxidants exist, there are concerns about their toxic and carcinogenic effects, creating a need for natural antioxidant sources. Mushrooms have emerged as promising candidates due to their high nutritional value and bioactive compounds.

Objective

To examine the in-vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of acetonic and methanolic extracts from three mushroom species: Boletus aestivalis, Boletus edulis and Leccinum carpini.

Results

The acetonic extract of Boletus edulis showed the strongest antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 4.72 μg/mL, comparable to standard antioxidants. A significant correlation was found between total phenolic/flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. The extracts demonstrated strong antimicrobial effects with MIC values ranging from 1.25-10 mg/mL against both bacteria and fungi. The acetone extracts generally showed stronger antimicrobial activity than methanol extracts.

Conclusion

The tested mushroom species demonstrated strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, suggesting their potential use as natural antioxidant sources and for pharmaceutical applications in treating various diseases. The results indicate mushrooms could be significant in food preservation and human, animal, and plant disease therapy.
  • Published in:Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: PMID: 24250542
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