An insight into in vitro bioactivity of wild-growing puffball species Lycoperdon perlatum (Pers) 1796

Lycoperdon perlatum (Pers) 1796 is saprobic puffball species with a global distribution. It is edible if young, when the gleba is still homogeneous and white. Since this species has a pleasant texture and taste, it has been used in soups as a substitute for dumplings. The aim of this work was to study bioactivity of crude extracts prepared from wild-growing sporocarps of L. perlatum collected from Eastern Serbia during 2012. The bioactivity screens included antioxidant (DPPH and FRAP assays), antiproliferative (human breast MCF-7 cancer cell-line; MTT and SRB assays) and antibacterial (three referent ATCC strains; microdilution assay) effects. Polar extracts (aqueous - LycAq and ethanol - LycEtOH) and a nonpolar extract (hexane - LycHex) of the examined mushroom species were screened. In addition, LycAq and LycEtOH were primarily characterized by UV-VIS spectrophotometry, due to determination of chemical composition (total phenol and flavonoid contents). The highest anti-DPPH radical activity was observed for LycAq (IC50 = 46.56 µg/ml). In comparison with LycAq, less polar LycEtOH showed slightly better ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (IC50 = 21.87 µg/ml and IC50 = 19.28 µg/ml, respectively). However, total phenol contents of both extracts were similar (≈ 2.0 mg GAE/g d.w.). Conversely, modest activities were found against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25922 (LycHex, MIC = 3.12 mg/ml) and MCF-7 cells (with the highest one obtained for LycEtOH after 72 h, IC50 = 367.54 µg/ml and IC50 = 390.03 µg/ml, MTT and SRB assays, respectively). According to the obtained experimental data, L. perlatum can be considered as a good source of novel and potent natural antioxidants for use in regular diet.