Antioxidant Activity of Indigenous Trametes Species in Korea

The fungal genus Trametes is globally distributed and comprises various wood-decay species, including the well-known medicinal mushroom Trametes versicolor, a popular remedy in traditional Asian medicine. Trametes species produce antioxidants, which have a wide range of health benefits. The pressent study evaluated seven indigenous Trametes species from Korea, which were cultivated in three different media (dextrose-yeAst extract, DY; malt extract–yeAst extract, MY; malt extract broth, MEB) and tested for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) Assays. We found that the medium consumption rate did not significantly differ between the media and among the strains (72-76%). However, the T. versicolor strains had a relatively low consumption rate (14-65%). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) tests demonstrated that culture filtrates of T. cf. junipericola, T. orientalis, T. suaveolens, and T. versicolor possessed antioxidant activity against damage from free radicals. In particular, T. cf. junipericola (DY) and T. versicolor (MY) had >80% activity in the DPPH and ABTS Assays, compared with that of the positive control (Ascorbic acid). Thus, our study identified promising candidates with substantial antioxidant activity among the indigenous strains of Trametes spp. from Korea.