Comparison between the aqueous extracts of mycelium and basidioma of the edible mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius: chemical composition and antioxidant analysis

The aqueous extracts of mycelium (MAE) and basidioma (BAE) of the mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quél. were compared for their chemical composition, phenolic compounds identified using HPLC and antioxidant activities. The MAE contained 66.1 μg of gallic acid, 27.0 μg of ferulic acid and 217 μg of caffeic acid/g dry weight (dw). In addition, 626 μg of gallic acid, 347 μg of caffeic acid, 53.0 μg of vanillic acid and 25.4 μg of ρ-coumaric acid were found in BAE/g dw. The levels of soluble proteins, soluble carbohydrates and free amino acids were higher in the BAE. The MAE of P. pulmonarius were efficient in chelating ferrous ions (EC 50 of 1.81 mg dw/mL). The EC 50 for DPPH and ABTS radicals were 0.51 and 0.03 mg dw/mL, respectively, showing high antioxidant capacity. The results of this study showed that mycelium and basidioma of P. pulmonarius have the potential to be used as sources of antioxidant compounds and nutrients.