Antioxidant components of selected indigenous edible mushrooms of the obsolete order Aphyllophorales.

BACKGROUND Species of phylum Basidiomycota are of great interest in many studies as a source of valuable biological compounds. AIMS To estimate the levels of antioxidant compounds (phenolic acids, indole compounds and sterols) in edible species of Aphyllophorales (sensu lato): Hydnum repandum L. and Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) Fr. METHODS A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was used for the quantitative and qualitative analyses of antioxidant components (phenolic acids, indole compounds, and sterols). RESULTS Analysis of phenolic acids revealed that 8 out of the 10 analyzed compounds were present. The quantitatively predominant in Hydnum repandum was protocatechuic acid (75.23 mg/100 g DW), and in Sparassis crispa it was p-hydroxybenzoic acid (43.92 mg/100 g DW). In turn, analysis of indole compounds identified 5 out of the 12 analyzed compounds: indole, melatonin, serotonin, tryptamine, and l-tryptophan. Moreover, ergosterol was also identified and quantitatively determined (150.37 mg/100 g DW) in Sparassis crispa extracts. CONCLUSIONS The data presented in this paper confirm the significant potential of chemical components with recognized antioxidant activity. The species can be considered as an alternative source of phenolic acids and ergosterol.