Bioactive compounds content in edible wild-growing mushrooms

Mushrooms are traditionally used in folk medicine in Slavic and Asian countries, especially in traditional Chinese medicine. According to the contemporary scientific research wild−growing mushrooms contain many secondary metabolites of medicinal potential. These compounds were isolated both from mushroom fruiting bodies and mycelium. Many of these bioactive substances exhibit antibacterial, anti−oxidative, and anti−inflammatory properties. They have also anti−neoplastic, anti−diabetic, and anti−atherosclerotic activity. Mushroom metabolites include polysaccharides, sesquiterpens and triterpenoids which demonstrate anti−cancer and immunostimula− tory activity. Moreover, wild−growing mushrooms contain natural antibiotics and antioxidants. Mushroom species exhibit different antibacterial activity. It was found that mushroom extracts are more effective against Gram−positive than Gram−negative bacteria. Mushroom species vary significantly in their content of antioxidants. The main group of mushroom antioxidants are polyphenols, i.e. phenolic acids and flavonoids. Anti−oxidative potential of mushrooms is strongly correlated with the content of these compounds. Such species as Boletus edulis and Cantharellus cibarius demonstrate especially high antioxidant activity. Another group of antioxidants are tocopherols, carotenoids and ascorbic acid. Lectins isolated from wild−growing mushroom include polysaccharide−protein and polysaccharide−peptide complexes. They exhibit mainly antineoplastic and antiviral effect. Nowadays wild growing mushrooms are treated as a source of secondary metabolites, which can potentially be used in food, pharmacological and cosmetic industries. This paper reviews the latest scientific reports on bioactive substances identified in edible wild−growing mushrooms occurring in Poland