Antioxidant Properties of Edible Mushrooms

Antioxidants or molecules with radical scavenger capacity gained attention a few years ago because of their potential protective effect against free radical damage. Epidemiological studies have shown that a higher intake of these compounds is associated with lower risk of mortality from cancer and coronary heart disease. Recent scientific studies confirmed that many edible mushrooms, described before by the traditional folklore of Asian culture as medicinal remedies towards a variety of disorders and diseases, indeed contained specific bioactive compounds. These were shown to lower cholesterol levels, to protect against tumours and other disorders, microbes and virus. Most of these properties were directly or indirectly related to the high antioxidant activity exhibited by specific compounds. The bioactive compounds are not yet well defined in all the species. Their antioxidant activity has been associated with minerals such as selenium and zinc. Also biomolecules such as ergothioneine, polysaccharide-protein complexes ( -D-glucans, etc.) phenolic compounds and, in lower quantities, peptides, vitamins A, C, and E (quantification depend on species) have been identified. However, flavonoids and related polyphenols are rare in mushrooms suggesting that these edible fungi might be an interesting source of new bioactive compounds different than plant antioxidants. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________