Phytochemical content of medicinal mushroom [Ganoderma lucidum]

Ganoderma lucidum is a functional food and a source of physiologically beneficial medicine. The Ganoderma fungi contained polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tannins, saponins and some of micro-elements [Cu, Zn, Mg, Mn and Se] as excellent antioxidants. Data showed a content of polyphenols and flavonoids fractions by HPLC. Ganoderma has a high content of kaempherol [14.43 micro g/g] then myricetin and quercetin [9.94 and 9.33 micro g/g, respectively]. The content of cinnamic acid and P-cumaric acid [9.82 and 11.53 micro g/g] were higher than cumarin, O-cumarin [8.88 and 8.44 micro g/g], respectively. Ganoderma protein is rich in cystine and methionine [0.85 and 13.53 g/100g protein], respectively compared with its level in casein [0.33 and 2.59 g/100g protein]. The ratio of arginine: lysine was higher than of methionine: glycine which is used as indication of the ability of plant proteins to lower cholesterol level in blood. The composition of Ganoderma mushroom having a relatively high content of unsaturated fatty acids [oleic, linoleic, linolenic, ecosanoic and decosahexanoic acids]. Also, the reducing power Ganoderma extract was higher compared to that for vitamin C

Study of antioxidants and anticancer activity of licorice [Glycyrrhiza glabra] extracts

Licorice root [Glycyrrhizia glabra] was analyzed for its major constant. Water and ethanolic extracts of licorice were obtained. Ethanolic extracts were analyzed for its contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and evaluated as natural antioxidant in comparison with commercial antioxidant [Rutin-BHT-BHA-TBHQ]. Also the efficiency of licorice ethanolic extract as anticancer agent for breast, colon and liver was evaluated. When licorice extracts were evaluated as natural antioxidant by microsomes, DPPH and Deoxyribose, the results showed that the ethanolic extract, was somewhat more efficient than the water extract but still it was similar to BHA and BHT at 100 ppm but was less efficient than TBHQ. Study revealed that ethanolic extract has strong antihepatic cancer activity at 16.1 micro g/ml and anti breast cancer activity at 100 micro g/ml, while it has no effect in colon cancer at 100 micro g/ml