Anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant and DNA protective potential of mushroom Leucopaxillus gentianeus (Quél.) Kotl.

Abstract

Mushrooms are important natural materials used in complementary medicine. In this context, the present study investigates the biological activities and phenolic content of mushroom Leucopaxillus gentianeus (Quél.) Kotl. Methanol (MeOH) and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of the mushroom was used in the study. Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured with Rel assay kits. DNA protective activity was determined with pBR 322 supercoil DNA. The effects of the extracts on lung cancer A549 cell line were tested to determine the cytotoxic effects. Antimicrobial activities were tested using 9 microorganisms with the modified agar dilution method. The mushroom MeOH and DCM extracts exhibited the highest activity against Candida glabrata, C. albicans and C. krusei. It was also determined that L. gentianeus had a high antioxidant potential. Furthermore, it was identified that DNA protective and cytotoxic activities of the mushroom were also present. Analysis for phenolic contents using HPLC revealed the presence of gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid and coumaric acid. Overall results suggest that the mushroom L. gentianeus has considerable pharmacological potential, particularly anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant and DNA protective action.