Chemical composition, antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effects of romanian craterellus cornucopioides (L.) pers. mushroom

Abstract

The aim of our paper was the evaluation of chemical composition, antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effects of several dry extracts obtained from black trumpet wild mushroom. Phytochemical analysis of sterols and total phenolic content were determined by means of spectrophotometric methods. The antioxidant activity was assessed by scavenger activity towards DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS•+ (2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) free radicals, ferric reducing power and ferrous ions chelating properties. For cytotoxicity evaluation, Daphnia magna bioassay, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and live and dead viability assays have been used. The aqueous dry extract had the highest phenolic content and generally the best antioxidant activity. Alcoholic dry extracts showed similar sterols content. The highest cytotoxic activity upon Daphnia magna crustaceans and human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells was observed for alcoholic dry extracts. Overall, all extracts showed antioxidant activity. Further pharmacological research is needed in order to determine the potential anticancer effects of the analysed extracts and their exact mechanism of action.