Antioxidant activity of the mycelium of 21 wild mushroom species

In this study, the antioxidant activity of mycelia from 21 wild mushrooms – Agaricus bresadolanus, Auricularia auricula-judae, Chroogomphus rutilus, Fomes fomentarius, Ganoderma lucidum, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Gymnopus dryophilus, Infundibulicybe geotropa, Inocybe flocculosa var. crocifolia, Inocybe catalaunica, Lentinula edodes, Lentinus sajor-caju, Lycoperdon excipuliforme, Macrolepiota excoriata, Morchella esculenta var. rigida, Morchella intermedia, Omphalotus olearius, Pleurotus djamor, Postia stiptica, Rhizopogon roseolus and Stropharia inuncta – were investigated. Antioxidant properties of ethanol, chloroform and water extracts of these 21 mycelia were studied by two methods: free radical scavenging (DPPH) and the scavenging activity of 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS.+). Among the 21 mushroom extracts, Omphalotus olearius displayed the most potent antioxidant activity. The study has shown that these wild macrofungi have potential as natural antioxidants.