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Antioxidants Potential of the Filamentous Fungi (Mucor circinelloides)

Summary

This research explored how certain fungi can produce natural antioxidants, which are compounds that help protect cells from damage. The scientists found that a specific type of fungus called Mucor circinelloides can produce significant amounts of antioxidants, especially when grown under specific conditions. This discovery is important because it could provide a new sustainable source of natural antioxidants for use in foods and medicines. Impacts on everyday life: • Could lead to new natural preservatives for extending food shelf life • May provide cheaper and more sustainable sources of antioxidants for dietary supplements • Could help reduce reliance on synthetic antioxidants in food and cosmetic products • May enable development of new functional foods with enhanced health benefits • Could provide new ways to produce natural food colorants with antioxidant properties

Background

Reactive oxygen species (ROSs) in high concentration are considered a serious health issue as their overproduction can lead to rapid aging, DNA and protein damage, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, immune dysfunction, inflammation, renal failure and lipid oxidation. Living cells have natural antioxidant production systems to counteract ROSs, but when there is an imbalance between free radical production and endogenous antioxidant production, it leads to oxidative stress. While traditional sources of natural antioxidants include fruits, vegetables and herbs, recent advances in biotechnology have enabled exploration of non-traditional sources like fungi for antioxidant compounds.

Objective

To investigate the antioxidant potential of three important strains of Mucor circinelloides (MC277.49, WJ11, and CBS 108.16) grown under different media conditions and fermentation periods. The study aimed to explore their antioxidant capacity, examine effects of complete vs nitrogen-limited media on antioxidant potential, check the influence of fermentation period on antioxidant capacities, and identify the best strain(s) for antioxidant production.

Results

Ethanolic extracts showed the highest antioxidant component yields and activities compared to water and crude extracts. The late exponential growth phase (120h/Day 5) demonstrated optimal antioxidant production across all strains. Strain MC277.49 was the highest producer of antioxidants followed by MC108.16 and WJ11. Growth in nitrogen-limited media resulted in significantly higher antioxidant production compared to complete media. Phenolic compounds were detected in significantly higher amounts followed by condensed tannins and flavonoids. The total phenol content correlated strongly with overall antioxidant capacity.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that Mucor circinelloides mycelium is a rich source of natural antioxidants, particularly when grown under nutritional stress conditions during late exponential growth phase. Strain MC277.49 showed the highest antioxidant potential. The fungal extracts exhibited excellent radical scavenging, reducing and metal chelating properties that were comparable to synthetic antioxidants. These findings suggest potential applications of these fungal extracts as natural antioxidant additives in food and pharmaceutical industries.
  • Published in:Nutrients,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/nu9101101
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