Nutritional, antioxidant and antitumour properties of Leccinum vulpinum Watling
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
Mushrooms are widely appreciated all over the world for their nutritional [1] and
bioactive properties [2, 3]. This work characterizes Leccinum vulpinum Watling, an
edible mushroom harvested in Bragan<;:a's outskirts (Northeastern Portugal), a region
with a great mycological biodiversity. The samples were chemically characterized
regarding their content in nutrients and non-nutrients. Furthermore, the antioxidant
and antitumour properties of the methanolic extract were evaluated. The nutritional
value was assessed through the composition in macronutrients following standard
procedures; the individual profiles in sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols, phenolic and
organic acids were evaluated through chromatographic techniques. The antioxidant
capacity was evaluated though the reducing power, radical-scavenging activity and
lipid peroxidation inhibition of the samples. The screening for tumour cell growth
inhibitory activity was carried out in four human tumour cell lines: AGS (gastric
adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung
cancer) and HCT-15 (colorectal adenocarcinoma). The activity of the extract was
further studied in the most sensitive cells (HCT-15), particularly regarding its effects
on the cell cycle profile (by flow cytometry).
L. vulpinum species may be considered a healthy food, with a great nutritional value,
being a source of nutraceuticals (e.g., mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and
vitamins) and other bioactive compounds (e.g., phenolic acids). This species also
showed antioxidant activity. Concerning the antitumour properties, L. vulpinum
inhibited the growth of the tested cell lines. Additionally, treatment of HCT-15 cells
(the most sensitive cell line) with 77.2 flg/mL of this extract caused a statistically
significant increase in the S phase and a decrease in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle.
