Antioxidant activities and prebiotic properties of the tropical mushroom Macrocybe crassa

Abstract Given the increasing demand for bioactive agents, new and relatively inexpensive sources are preferred over commercially available functional foods. Antioxidant activities and prebiotic properties of five strains of Macrocybe crassa; DOA, DOA-1, DOA-4, DOA-7, and DOA-10 were determined. All mushroom strains displayed significant antioxidant activities on DPPH radicals (IC50 46.24–63.70 mg/mL). The inhibitions of lipid peroxidation (LPO) activity with IC50 ranged from 6.85 to 7.31 mg/mL, and chelating actions on ferrous ions for IC50 were 7.52–36.26 mg/mL. This study provided valuable information to support wild mushrooms as an excellent source of antioxidants in the human diet. Moreover, results showed that the M. crassa mushroom had promotional effects on lactic acid bacteria, and also dominantly inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The wild Thai isolate of tropical mushroom M. crassa is a source of antioxidant and prebiotic compounds that might be useful in producing functional foods and nutraceuticals.