Pleurotus ostreatus better known as oyster mushroom is widely cultivated and consumed as food in Malaysia. The present study aims to assess the antioxidative potential and total phenolic content of P. ostreatus aqueous extract. The antioxidant activities were evaluated against DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and β-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay, and the Folin-Ciocalteu method for total phenolic content (TPC). The DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activity was found to be 63.20% and 87.29% respectively; antioxidant activity using FRAP at 1.45 mM FE/100g and β-carotenelinoleate bleaching assay was 83.51%, while the TPC was found to be 798.55 mg GAE/100g. These antioxidant activities were compared to synthetic antioxidant, BHA and ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid showed highest scavenging effects on DPPH and ABTS radical, followed by P. ostreatus and BHA (at maximum safety limit). The ferric reducing power of P. ostreatus was significantly higher than BHA and ascorbic acid. The antioxidant activity as assessed in β-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay was found to be higher in BHA compared to P. ostreatus. The aqueous extract of P. ostreatus was found to respond differently in antioxidant assays. The antioxidative activity of the aqueous extract of P. ostreatus correlated with its total phenolic content. Generally, the antioxidant activities of P. ostreatus’ aqueous extract are comparable to that of BHA and ascorbic acid to a certain extent.

Hygrocybe conica (HC), a wild mushroom commonly consumed by the indigenous people (Orang Asti) in Peninsular Malaysia, was assessed for its antioxidant content. Methods: The HC mushroom was extracted using distilled water and the crude extract partitioned using different solvents and open column chromatography to evaluate its potential antioxidant properties. The mushroom extract was partitioned using liquid-liquid extraction into the hexane (F1), chloroform (F2), butanol (F3) and formic acid (F4) fractions. Based on solvent polarity, the water extract of the mushroom was fractionated into non-polar (FI), semi-polar (FII), and polar fractions (FIII) using open column chromato�graphy. Antioxidant capacities were determined using DPPH, ABTS, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays while Folin-Ciocalteu reagent assay was used to determine total phenolic content (TPC). Results: The HC extract had the highest TPC and DPPH scavenging capacity compared to its extract fractions. TE values (ABTS assay) of F2 and F4 were not significantly higher than the HC extract. Among the extract fractions of different polarities, FIII had the highest antioxidant capacities (DPPH and FRAP) compared to FI and FII while FRAP values of these fractions were not significantly lower than the FRAP value of HC extract. The HC extract had significantly lower antioxidant capacity than antioxidant standards (ascorbic acid and BHA). Tannic acid as the main bioactive component in HC mushroom was detected using HPLC method. The presence of phenolics in HC extract was also confirmed using TLC. Conclusion: Due to the presence of potent phenolic components, the mycelia of HC could be consumed for potential antioxidative benefits.
Antioxidants ; Agaricales