Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quel. (Pleurotaceae): In vitro antioxidant evaluation and the isolation of a steroidal isoprenoid

This study is reporting the in vitro antioxidant activity of the fruiting body of the edible mushroom Pleurotuspulmonarius (Fr.) Quel. The fruiting body of the edible mushroom was defatted with n-hexane and furtherextracted by successive maceration in dichloromethane (DCM) and 80% aqueous ethanol (AQE) to obtainthe DCM and AQE extracts, respectively. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavengingand iron chelating assays were used for antioxidant evaluation in vitro with ascorbic acid as the referencestandard for comparison. Isolation and structural elucidation of the steroid were done using chromatographicand spectroscopic techniques, respectively. The trend for the DPPH radical scavenging activity: ascorbic acid[inhibition concentration (IC)50 = 0.012 mg/ml] > AQE (IC50 = 0.525 mg/ml) > DCM (IC50 = 1.820 mg/ml)and for the iron chelating activity: ascorbic acid (IC50 = 0.214 mg/ml) > AQE (IC50 = 1.318 mg/ml) > DCM(IC50 = 7.586 mg/ml) were observed. From the DCM was isolated a pure compound 1 elucidated to be theknown steroidal isoprenoid: ergosta-5, 7, 22-trien-3β-ol. This study aside reporting the isolation of the knowncompound 1 from this species of Pleurotus, has also shown that compound 1 has a significant iron chelatingactivity at 0.001 mg/ml of 77.06% compared to 4.56% at same concentration for DPPH scavenging activity.

Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anti-cholinesterase, and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Culinary Mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius

Culinary mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius has been popular in Asian countries. In this study, the anti-oxidant, cholinesterase, and inflammation inhibitory activities of methanol extract (ME) of fruiting bodies of P. pulmonarius were evaluted. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazy free radical scavenging activity of ME at 2.0 mg/mL was comparable to that of butylated hydroxytoluene, the standard reference. The ME exhibited significantly higher hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than butylated hydroxytoluene. ME showed slightly lower but moderate inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase than galantamine, a standard AChE inhibitor. It also exhibited protective effect against cytotoxicity to PC-12 cells induced by glutamate (10~100 µg/mL), inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and carrageenan-induced paw edema in a rat model. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the ME of P. pulmonarius contained at least 10 phenolic compounds and some of them were identified by the comparison with known standard phenolics. Taken together, our results demonstrate that fruiting bodies of P. pulmonarius possess antioxidant, anti-cholinesterase, and inflammation inhibitory activities.

Crescimento micelial de Lentinus sajor caju (Fr.) Fr. E Pleurotus spp. em diferentes resíduos agrícolas / Mycelial growth of Lentinus sajor caju (Fr.) Fr. and Pleurotus spp. in different agricutural wastes

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento in vitro de três linhagens de cogumelos [Pleurotus ostreatoroseus Singer, Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quél. e Lentinus sajor caju (Fr.) Fr.], reativados em meio de cultura BDA e cultivadas em meios de cultura formulados à base de resíduos agrícolas, como a palha de arroz, casca de mamona, casca de amendoim. No meio sólido formulado foi adicionado um disco de cultura no centro da placa, estas foram incubadas a 25oC até a colonização do meio. Avaliou-se, diariamente, o diâmetro da colônia e obteve-se, aos cinco dias de cultivo, a massa miceliana, sendo os resultados obtidos submetidos a análise de variância e teste de Tukey. O meio contendo extrato da casca de amendoim foi o mais adequado para o crescimento da linhagem utilizada de Lentinus sajorcaju, que colonizou 68,30% da placa de Petri. O meio contendo extrato de casca de mamona foi mais favorável ao crescimento de Pleurotus ostreatoreoseus que colonizou 40,01% da placa. A linhagem nativa de Pleurotus pulmonarius cresceu indiferentemente nos meios testados e teve maior crescimento comparada a linhagem de Pleurotus ostreatoroseus. A linhagem de Lentinus sajor-caju no meio contendo extrato da casca de amendoim, apresentou massa micelial seca significativamente maior que todas as demais. O crescimento micelial das linhagens de Lentinus sajor-caju e Pleurotus ostreatoroseus é influenciado pelo meio de cultivo, enquanto o da linhagem nativa utilizada não é influenciado pelos meios testados.

The aim of this study was evaluate the in vitro development of three mushrooms strains [Pleurotus ostreatoroseus Singer, Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.) Quél. e Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) Fr.], growing media based in agricultural wastes, such rice straw, castor bean seed husks and peanut shells. In the solid medium was added a culture disc in the center of a petri dish and than was incubated at 25oC even the completly colonization of the medium, the data obtained were submitted to variance analysis and Tukey test. Was evaluated, daily, the colony diameter and the mycelial mass obtained after five days of culture. The medium containing peanut husks extract provides the optimal development for the Lentinus sajor-caju strain, when an average of 68.3% of each petri dishes was colonized by mycelia. The medium containig castor bean seed shells were most favorable for Pleurotus ostreatoreoseus development, such colonizing 40,01% of each petri dishes. The wild strain of Pleurotus pulmonarius grew indifferently in the tested media and reaches the higher development when compared with Pleurotus ostreatoroseus strain. Lentinus sajor-caju demonstrate significantly more mycelial dry mass in the peanut shells medium when compared with the others strains. This result suggests that the mycelial growing of Lentinus sajor-caju and Pleurotus ostreatoroseus are influencied by the media. For the wild strain the mycelial growing its not significantly influencied by the tested media.

Anti-leukemic and immunomodulatory effects of fungal metabolites of Pleurotus pulmonarius and Pleurotus ostreatus on benzene-induced leukemia in Wister rats

BACKGROUND: The use of natural bioactive compounds in conventional chemotherapy is a new direction in cancer treatment that is gaining more research attention recently. Bioactive polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes from some fungi (edible mushrooms) have been identified as sources of effective and non-toxic antineoplastic agents. Selected oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius and P. ostreatus being local [Nigeria] and exotic strains, respectively) were cultured on a novel medium of yeast extract supplemented with an ethanolic extract of Annona senegalensis, and the antileukemic potential of their metabolites was studied. METHODS: Leukemia was successfully induced in Wister rats by intravenous injection (0.2 mL) of a benzene solution every 2 days for 3 consecutive weeks. The aqueous solution of fungal metabolites (20 mg/mL) produced by submerged fermentation was orally administered (0.2 mL) before, during, and after leukemia induction. Leukemia burden was assessed by comparing the hematological parameters at baseline and after leukemia induction. The immunomodulatory potential of the metabolites was assessed by using a phagocytic assay (carbon clearance method). The ability to enhance leukopoiesis was assessed by using the total leukocyte count. RESULTS: Leukemia induction resulted in significant anemia indices and leukocytosis (P<0.05) in the experimental rats. Both metabolites equally enhanced leukopoiesis and demonstrated phagocytic actions; P. ostreatus activity was significantly higher than that of P. pulmonarius (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The metabolites exhibited profound antileukemic potential by suppressing leukemia and demonstrating immunotherapeutic activities on animals after oral administration in various experimental groups.

Pentachlorophenol removal by Pleurotus pulmonarius in submerged cultures

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) removal by Pleurotus pulmonarius grown in submerged cultures in the presence and absence of laccase inducers was studied in this work. When PCP was added to a final concentration of 25 mg·L-1 in submerged cultures actively producing laccase, 70 percent of the PCP was removed after 96 h. The removal of PCP was less than 20 percent in the cultures with low laccase activity. The results suggested that laccase played an important role in the biodegradation of PCP by P. pulmonarius and that for bioremediation purposes the fungus must be cultured under the conditions of active laccase production.

Effect of Spent Mushroom Compost of Pleurotus pulmonarius on Growth Performance of Four Nigerian Vegetables

Spent mushroom compost (SMC) of Pleurotus pulmonarius (an edible fungus) was used as soil conditioner for the improvement of growth of four common Nigerian vegetables (Abelmoschus esculentus, Lycopersicum esculentum, Capsicum annum and Capsicum chinense). The results of these investigations showed that the vegetables responded well to the SMC treatment. Each of them attained its best growth and gave the highest number of flowers and fruits when planted on 6 kg of depleted garden soil supplemented with 600 g of SMC. The control experiment that has the seedlings of the vegetables planted on 6 kg of depleted garden soil only, without the application of SMC, showed stunted and poor growth, with few or no flower and fruit production. A. esculentus was the best utilizer of iron utilizing 118.0 mg/kg in the SMC used. Similarly; this vegetable utilized 1.48 mg/kg of nitrogen in the SMC. The highest height in each vegetable was attained with 6 kg of depleted garden soil supplemented with 600 g of SMC. At 9 wk, A. esculentus has the mean height of 85.0 cm while these values significantly increased to 100.00 cm at 14 wk (p < or = 0.05). At 9 wk, L. esculentum has the highest mean height of 65.00 cm which increased to 71.00 cm after 14 wk. It was also observed that A. esculentus has the highest mean number of fruits (9.00), followed in order by C. chinense (8.00) and L. esculentus (7.00) (p < or = 0.05) while, C. annum produced the least mean number of fruits (5.00). No fruits production was seen in the control experiments. The results of these findings were discussed in relation to the usage of SMC as possible organic fertilizer for the improvement of growth of vegetables in Nigeria.