Abstract

GANODERMA LUCIDUM AND TRAMETES HIRSUTA AS POTENT ANTIOXIDANTS IN FREE RADICAL SYSTEMS IN VITRO

Imtiyaz Ahmad Sheikh*, Deepak Vyas, Rafiq Lone, Vinita Singh

ABSTRACT

The present study was designed for the assessment of phenolics and free radical scavenging activity of two polypore medicinal mushrooms. Demonstration of free radical scavenging activity of mushroom Ganoderma (GLA) and Trametes (THA) aqueous extracts was performed on DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide radicals in terms of % inhibition of free radical systems. Preliminary phytochemical analysis, Total phenolic content and HPLC determination of phenolics in the extracts was also performed. Both mushrooms showed mild free radical scavenging activity against DPPH in a dose dependent manner but efficiently scavenged nitric oxide and superoxide radicals compared to ascorbic acid. IC50 values of GLA and THA were 46.35 and 77.69 against DPPH, 61.33 and 30.89 against nitric oxide and, 46.48 and 103.26 (μg/ml) against superoxide radicals, respectively. Phenolic content of Ganoderma and Trametes extracts was found to be 30.916 ± 0.057 and 38.25 ± 0.135 μg gallic acid equivalents/mg of extract, respectively. HPLC indicated the presence of ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid and vanillin in two mushroom extracts. Results in present study speculated that mushroom extracts due to their free radical scavenging activities prove rich sources of antioxidants.

Keywords: Mushroom, phenolic compounds, nitric oxide, superoxide, vanillin.