Determination of mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc, selenium and iron by ICP-OES in mushroom samples from around thermal power plant in Mugla, Turkey.

Scleroderma verrucosum, Stropharia coronilla, Lactarius deterrimus, Chroogomphus rutilus, Russula delica, Laccaria laccata, Clitocybe odora var. alba, Lyophyllum decastes, Coprinus comatus, Helvella leucomelaena, Melanoleuca cognata, Melanoleuca cognata, Paxina acetabulum, Clitocybe vermicularis, Sarcosphaera crassa, Rhizopogon roseolu and Thelephora caryophyllea were collected from different localities in Mugla-Yatagan region of Turkey. Their trace metals concentrations were determined by ICPOES after microwave digestion. The results were 0.37 ± 0.01-5.28 ± 0.21 for cadmium, 467 ± 19-3,280 ± 131 for iron, 0.69 ± 0.03-9.15 ± 0.37 for lead, 18.70 ± 0.75-67.10 ± 2.68 for selenium, 75 ± 3-213 ± 8 for zinc and 0.15 ± 0.01-0.55 ± 0.01 for mercury (as µg/g). The detection limits for ICPOES were found as 0.25 for Cadmium, 0.2 for iron, 0.1 for lead, 0.5 for selenium, 0.2 for zinc and 0.03 for mercury (as mg L(-1)). The Relatively Standard Deviations (R.S.D.) were found below 4.0%. The accuracy of procedure was confirmed by certified reference material.

Morchella anatolica (Ascomycota), a new species from southwestern Anatolia, Turkey.

Morchella anatolica (Ascomycota, Pezizales, Morchellaceae), a new species collected from pine forest of southwestern Anatolia, Turkey, is described and illustrated.

Evaluation of metal concentration and antioxidant activity of three edible mushrooms from Mugla, Turkey.

This study is designed for the determination of metal concentrations, antioxidant activity potentials and total phenolics of Amanita caesarea, Clitocybe geotropa and Leucoagaricus pudicus. Concentrations of four heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni) and five minor elements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Co) are determined. In the case of A. caesarea, Cr and Ni concentrations are found in a high level. Concentrations of the metals are found to be within safe limits for C. geotropa. In beta-carotene/linoleic acid test, L. pudicus showed the highest activity potential. In DPPH system, A. caesarea showed 79.4% scavenging ability. Additionally, reducing power and chelating capacity of the mushrooms increased with concentration. The strongest super-oxide anion scavenger was A. caesarea. In the case of total phenolics, L. pudicus found to have the highest content.

Antioxidant activities, metal contents, total phenolics and flavonoids of seven Morchella species.

Seven Morchella species were analyzed for their antioxidant activities in different test systems namely beta-carotene/linoleic acid, DPPH, reducing power, chelating effect and scavenging effect (%) on the stable ABTS*(+), in addition to their heavy metals, total phenolic and flavonoid contents. In beta-carotene/linoleic acid system, the most active mushrooms were M. esculenta var. umbrina and M.angusticeps. In the case of DPPH, methanol extract of M. conica showed high antioxidant activity. The reducing power of the methanol extracts of mushrooms increased with concentration. Chelating capacity of the extracts was also increased with the concentration. On the other hand, in 40 microg ml(-1) concentration, methanol extract of M. conica, exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity (78.66+/-2.07%) when reacted with the ABTS*(+) radical. Amounts of seven elements (Cu, Mn, Co, Zn, Fe, Ca, and Mg) and five heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Al) were also determined in all species. M. conica was found to have the highest phenolic content among the samples. Flavonoid content of M. rotunda was also found superior (0.59+/-0.01 microg QEs/mg extract).

New records of macrofungi from Turkey.

This taxonomic study is based on macrofungi collected Babadag District (Denizli) in the period 2005-2006. As a result of field and laboratory studies, five new records are presented. These species are Leptopodia elastica, Entoloma incarnatofuscescens, Geastrum minimum, Hygrophorus speciosus and Russula sororia.

Antimicrobial activity of two wild mushrooms Clitocybe alexandri (Gill.) Konr. and Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda) T.M. Fries collected from Turkey.

Two edible wild mushrooms, namely Clitocybe alexandri (Gill.) Konr. (Tricholomataceae) and Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda) T.M. Fries (Rhizopogonaceae), collected from the southwest of Turkey, were tested for their antimicrobial activity by using the disc diffusion method. The ethanol, methanol, diethyl ether, water, ethylacetate and n-hexane extracts from the fruit bodies of mushrooms were assayed against 13 microorganisms. In comparison with the test antibiotics penicillin, novobiocin, nalidixic acid and ampicillin, the methanol extract obtained from the two mushrooms presented significant activity against E. coli, Bacillus subtilis and Enterobacter aerogenes. On the other hand, the ethylacetate extract from C. alexandri was found to be active against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas the ethanol extract of Rhizopogon roseolus was active against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This research has shown that various extracts obtained from two macrofungi could be used in vitro to inhibit the growth of some important bacteria and fungi.