Total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in Pleurotus Spp. Grown on commercial and wild substrates

Abstract

A comparison of the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content between several mushroom strains and species belonging to Pleurotus genus (P. ostreatus, P. pulmonarius and P. citrinopileatus) was realized. Total phenolic content as well as the antioxidant capacity showed considerable differences between the strains and Pleurotus species studied. The mushroom samples were grown on a commercial (wheat straw) and on wild substrates (Pennisetumsetaceum and Arundodonax), finding out considerable differences in both parameters (total phenolic content and antioxidant activity) according to the cultivation substrate. So, the mushroom samples produced in wild substrates had in general a higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity than those mushrooms grown on the usual commercial substrate. The highly significant correlation (r = 0.807; P < 0.0001) found between total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity is in agreement with previous results that noted the phenolic compounds as the main antioxidants present in mushroom.