Antioxidant and antigenotoxic potential of Ramaria largentii Marr & D. E. Stuntz, a wild edible mushroom collected from Northeast Romania

Abstract

Ramaria largentii Marr & D. E. Stuntz (orange coral mushroom) is a wild edible mushroom whose chemical composition and bioactivity have not been investigated. Herein, we present a study on the phenolic constituents, antioxidant and antigenotoxic effects of a hydromethanolic extract of the fruiting bodies. Total phenolic content, estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu assay, was found to be 42.33 ± 0.18 mg GAE/g. Protocatechuic and vanillic acids were detected by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. The extract showed good free radical scavenging and reducing capacities (EC₅₀ = 64.3 ± 0.2 and 61.54 ± 0.46 μg/mL, respectively). In normal Vero cells, the extract (100, 200 and 300 μg/mL) showed no genotoxic potential and moreover, almost completely protected DNA against H₂O₂-induced damage (2.09-7.91% tail DNA) (24 and 48 h pre-treatment). Taken together, the results of our study show that Ramaria largentii extract is devoid of genotoxicity and has a remarkable DNA protective activity against H₂O₂-induced damage.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Genoprotection; Hydrogen peroxide; Mushrooms; Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage; Phenolics.