abstract
- Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.: Fr.) Murr. was studied regarding the nutritional value, bioactive compounds, in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor activities. The studied mushroom is a rich source of carbohydrates and proteins. Mannitol and trehalose were the main free sugars, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. α-, γ- and δ-Tocopherols were found. Oxalic and citric acids were the most abundant organic acids; cinnamic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were quantified in the methanolic extract and could be related to the antioxidant properties. It was the polysaccharidic extract that exhibited, higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, indicating that compounds present in this extract possess stronger bioactivity. Only polysaccharidic extract revealed antiproliferative activity of human tumor cell lines. A suitable model system with chicken pate was also developed to test antimicrobial preserving properties of L. sulphureus. The methanolic extract was used to examine in situ preserving properties against Aspergillus flavus and demonstrated excellent preserving potential.
- The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to this work (research project PTDC/AGR-ALI/110062/2009 and L. Barros researcher contract under “Programa Compromisso com Ciência-2008”) and to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). The authors also thank the Serbian Ministry of Education and Science for financial support (grant number 173032) and Mr Dragoljub Ratkovic for providing us with fresh material of the mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus.