Bioactive potential of two wild edible mushrooms of the Western Ghats of India

Abstract Edible wild mushrooms of the Western Ghats of India ( Auricularia auricula-judae and Termitomyces umkowaan ) were evaluated for bioactive potential in uncooked and cooked conditions. In spite of low quantities of total phenolics and tannins, uncooked A. auricula showed significantly higher total antioxidant activity (TAA), ferric-ion chelation, DPPH (diphenyl- i -picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging capacity and reducing power than cooked A. auricula due to presence of other bioactive principles like flavonoids, vitamin C, and l -DOPA (dihydroxyphenylalanine). Although total phenolics, tannins, vitamin C, and l -DOPA contents were lower in cooked than in uncooked T. umkowaan , TAA, ferric-ion chelation, DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and reducing power were considerably high in cooked samples indicating bioactive principles were not affected by pressure cooking. Besides, A. auricula-judae and T. umkowaan possess high nutritional components (eg, fiber, carbohydrates, essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids), devoid of trypsin inhibition, possess very low hemagglutinin activity, and serve as potential nutraceutical sources in combating human ailments.