Antioxidative activity of Lenzites warnieri basidiocarps

Abstract

Considering that mushrooms synthesize different kinds of compounds with antioxidative activity and that search for natural antioxidants is a topical study area, testing of unstudied species is fully justified. The aim of the study was to evaluate antioxidative capacity of Lenzites warnieri basidiocarps using different solvents. Antioxidative potential of 96% ethanolic, 70% ethanolic and methanolic extracts was evaluated by 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) bleaching assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. Additionally, total content of phenols and flavonoids in extracts was determined as galic acid equivalent (GAE) and quercetin equivalent (QE), respectively. Presented as EC 50 , 70% ethanolic extracts showed the highest antioxidative capacity by DPPH assay (3.08 ± 0.49 mg/mL) and 96% ethanolic extract by ABTS assay (3.08 ± 0.24 mg/mL). Methanolic extract exhibited the lowest antioxidative activity in both assays (6.02 ± 0.99 mg/mL and 4.92 ± 0.38 mg/mL, respectively). Results showed that antioxidative capacity of extracts depended on solvents and assay used, indicating that ethanolic extracts were with higher capacity in free radicals neutralization. The highest content of total phenols was detected in 70% ethanolic extract (37.45 ± 0.36 µg GAE/mg of dried extract) while the lowest amount was noted in methanolic extract (22.73 ± 0.05 µg GAE/mg of dried extract). Total flavonoid contents were negligible and ranged between 1.91 ± 0.10 and 2.24 ± 0.13 µg QE/mg of dried extract. The obtained results indicate that Lenzites warnieri possess significant antioxidative capacity which is mainly correlated to phenols present in the extracts.