Comparative Evaluation of Antioxidant Activities in Mycelia, Fruiting Bodies and Spent Mushroom Substrate of Edible Mushrooms

Abstract

Antioxidant activities of 13 commonly cultivated mushrooms in Spain were evaluated using total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH free radical scavenging (DPPH) assay, ABTS free radical scavenging (ABTS) assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) in Caco-2 cell line. Within a mushroom fruiting bodies, Agaricus bisporus var subrufescens possessed the highest TPC and antioxidant capacity in both chemical and cellular assays. Furthermore, the mycelia extracts with the best antioxidant potential in chemical assays were A. bisporus (white), A. bisporus var brunnescens (Portobello) and Hericium erinaceus. Caco-2 treatment with mycelia extracts revealed the absence of activity of any extract in the conditions assayed. In addition, the spent mushroom substrate from Agrocybe aegerita, H. erinaceus and Pholiota nameko are those with the highest polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity both by chemical methods and in vitro models. Results showed that there is no correlation between the polyphenols content, the chemical antioxidant assays and the corresponding values obtained in cellular models. Nevertheless, this study contributes to the rise of data relatively to the species consumed as fresh mushrooms and the possibility of their consumption as a source of antioxidant food.