Bioactive potential of the wild edible mushroom ramaria versatilis

Abstract

The scrub jungles of the southwestern India support different mushrooms of economic significance. The coral mushrooms belong to the genus Ramaria distributed worldwide and many species are edible, medicinal and ectomycorrhizal. Ramaria versatilis occurring in scrub jungles were analyzed for biochemical profile and antioxidant potential. Qualitative tests of uncooked samples showed presence of saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and coumarins, whereas the cooked samples possess saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and coumarins. Quantitative assessment revealed significantly higher quantities of total phenolics as well as vitamin C in uncooked than cooked samples. The total antioxidant activity, ferrous ion-chelation capacity and DPPH radical-scavenging activity were also significantly high in uncooked samples. Occurrence, substrates, mycorrhizal association and edibility of different Ramaria occurring in the Western Ghats region have been reviewed with comparison of nutritional and antioxidant potential of R. versatilis with other Ramaria spp.