Sultana Nita

Antioxidant Capacity and the Correlation with Major Phenolic Compounds, Anthocyanin, and Tocopherol Content in Various Extracts from the Wild Edible Boletus edulis Mushroom

Boletus edulis is a wild edible mushroom habitually consumed by rural populations. Ethanolic and methanolic extracts was obtained in cold and hot water from dried fruit bodies. The antioxidant activity of freeze-dried extracts from B. edulis were investigated using free radicals scavenging activity, reducing power, metal chelating effect, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and the identification of antioxidant compounds. The levels of different compounds with antioxidant properties were higher in alcoholic extracts compared with aqueous extracts. Rosmarinic acid was the major phenolic compound, it being identified in a concentration between 7 ± 0.23 and 56 ± 0.15 mg/100 g extract. A positive correlation between the content of total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tocopherols, and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of Romanian wild mushroom B. edulis represents a natural source of functional compounds.

An In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant and Colonic Microbial Profile Levels following Mushroom Consumption

The biological activity of mushroom consumption is achieved by the antioxidant effect of constituent biomolecules released during digestion. In the following study, the consumption of mushroom fungi was determined to increase the number of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains within the colon. The main phenolic antioxidant compounds identified were both gentisic and homogentisic acids. Moreover, the flavonoid catechin as well as a significant amount of δ- and γ-tocopherols was determined. The amount of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains from different sections of the human colon was significantly correlated with levels of antioxidative biomolecules. The experimental data clearly demonstrate a significant impact of mushroom consumption on the fermentative function of microorganisms in the human colon, resulting in the homeostasis of normal physiological colonic functions.

The viability of the Lactobacillus paracasei IL2 and Lactobacillus plantarum IL3 strains in simulated gastrointestinal conditions

The viability maintenance of Lactobacillus paracasei IL2 and Lactobacillus plantarum IL3 strains in gastrointestinal conditions represents one of the most important characteristics regarding their use for obtaining probiotic products. The tests were performed with a cell suspension kept in 0.5% NaCl. The influences of pepsin (3 g/l) at pH values of 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3.0, as well as of pancreatin (1 g/l) in the presence of bile salts (1.5, 2, 3 and 5 mg/ml) were determined. The influence of casein and mucin, in a concentration of 1 g/l, were also established in the aforementioned conditions. It was observed that casein presented a longer viability maintenance; a fact also confirmed by the calculation of the mathematical parameters of viability and mortality, when mucin was either used or not, especially in the case of gastric transit. The results proved that the tested strains maintained their viability even at pH between 1.8 and 2.0 and at an even higher concentration, of 2 mg/ml, of bile salts, but up to two hours as of the exposure to the conditions of the simulated small intestinal juice. Such results were also confirmed by the cumulated effect of the simulated gastric and small intestinal juice, the strains thus increasing their viability with an average of 15% in the presence of casein.

Biological activity of fluidized bed ethanol extracts from several edible mushrooms

In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of fluidized bed ethanol extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus PQMZ91109, PBS281009, M2191 (obtained from a laboratory greenhouse), Agaricus bisporus, Marasmius oreades, Craterellus cornucopioides, and Tuber melanosporum were investigated using free radical scavenging activities, metal chelating effects, inhibition of lipid peroxidation (inhibition of peroxyl radicals), xanthine oxidase, and lipoxygenase, and identification of antioxidant compounds. Levels of different compounds with antioxidant properties demonstrated the presence of more tocopherols than polyphenol carboxylic acids and flavones. HPLC showed that T. melanosporum extracts had high correlation values between levels of different active compounds and antioxidant assay results. Tocopherol levels were highly correlated (R2=0.867) with anti-inflammatory activities and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Fluidized bed ethanol extracts from dried mushroom fruit bodies can be a source of products rich in tocopherols, and can constitute an important ingredient in food supplements.