ABSTRACT
Higher-fungi (Hf) of the polypore mushrooms are considered to have unique secondary metabolites, making them reservoirs of therapeutically significant bioactive compounds. Phytochemical and antioxidant properties of the Hf were accessed in this study. Four Hf, which were found in several wild locations in Oyo state, Nigeria, were collected. At the University of Ibadan Botany Department Laboratory, the species of the four Hf were determined. In-vitro antioxidant activity were assessed using the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) assays using methanol extracts of air-dried and powdered Hf. Results were presented as Mean SEM, graphs were created in Excel, one-way ANOVA was used for the analysis, and p ?0.05 was regarded as significant. These Hf were identified as Lycoperdon rimlatum (Lr) FFUI1, Trametes versicolor (Tv) FFUI2, Ganoderma lucidum (Gl) FFUI3, and Daedelia quarcina (Dq) FFUI4 and were recorded on the NCBI with accession numbers EU833664.1, JQ621899, JQ520179.1 and KP171209.1, respectively. All the Hf showed positive tests for the presence of saponin, tannin, alkaloid, terpenoid, carbohydrate,tannin and flavonoids. The Hf showed antioxidant activities, the highest DPPH inhibition was by Tv (94.48%), FRAP was by Gl (0.16 mg/g) and H2O2 inhibition was by Lr (70.90%). The antioxidant activities observed were due to the presence of useful phytochemicals making them therapeutically significant.