Consumption of mushroom has increased remarkably because of their desirable aroma, taste and high nutritional content. Wild edible mushrooms (WEM) are well known for their nutritious and antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to measure and compare the antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of six WEM from selected indigenous Tanzanian forests and one domesticated grown form in methanolic extracts. Results show that among the seven mushroom species extracts, the methanolic extract from Auricularia judae showed the most potent radical scavenging activity of 93.33% while Panus conchatus revealed lowest antioxidant activities of 46.53%. The strongest EC 50 was observed in Auricularia judae 0.08 mg/ml while weakest was in P. conchatus >0.3 mg/ml. Nevertheless total phenolics in the methanolic extracts were the highest in P. tenuiculus (431.03±3.63 mg GAE/100 g) and lowest in Macrolepiota procera (136.21±0.98 mgGAE/100 g). Lentinus squarrosulus possessed highest content of β-carotene and flavonoids were 48.15±1.04 mg/100 g and 25.62±1.78 mg/100 g, respectively meanwhile the lowest concentration was found in wild L. sajorcaju 5.35±0.68 mg/100 g and 2.49±1.28 mg/100 g, respectively. Comparatively, domesticated mushroom showed higher scavenging ability of 76.61% than its wild counterparts 62.94%. In conclusion, high antioxidant activity in methanolic extract of WEM due to presence of phenolic content can potentially be used as a source of natural antioxidants.

Objective: Indigenous forests in Tanzania provide a good environment for saprophytic wild edible mushrooms (SWEM) to grow. In rural areas, mushroom eaters rely on seasonal collection of wild edible mushrooms during the rain seasons, which make them unreliable source of nutrients during dry seasons. The study aims to identify and domesticate SWEM so that it is available throughout the year. Methodology and results: Eight types of SWEM were identified, collected; their germplasm isolated and experimented for domestication their biological efficiency. Three species out of eight were successfully isolated and included Pluteus umbrosus, Lentinus sajor-caju and Panus conchatus. Of the three isolates, only one species L. sajor-caju was successfully domesticated and formed fruit bodies at 18% biological efficiency. Furthermore, results on vegetative growth on mixed substrates of dried banana (70%) and wood shred (30%) administered at different inoculation rates of 1%, 3% and 5% in glass columns revealed different colonization rates with the highest record of 24.94±0.38 mm/day at 3% spawn inoculation with P. conchatus. Conclusion and application of results: The successful domestication of L. sajor-caju shows the potential of SWEM being cultivated and is a stepping-stone towards more domestication of indigenous mushroom species. More studies on optimizing its growth parameter are recommended for growing and introduction to mushroom growing industry.