Phenolic compounds extracts from black tea (obtained from local markets) were extracted by hot and cold methods to test their antioxidant activity by determination of thiobarbituric acid No. (TBA%). Effect of different concentrations( 0.02, 0.04, 0.08 ) % of extracts and time of incubation (30days) at 40 C were studied, hot method phenolic extract(S 2 )gave a positive concentration effect on antioxidant activity, cold method phenolic extract ( S 1 ) gave a limited concentration effect. S 1 and S 2 gave continuous decrease in TBA % after different periods of incubation time, S 2 showed higher antioxidant activity than S 1 ,S 1 and S 2 antioxidant activity were compared with synthetic antioxidants BHA and BHT and natural antioxidant activity -Tocopherol.S 1 and S 2 gave higher activity than BHA and BHT on the other hand -Tocopherol showed inhibition in antioxidant activity.

The cultivation of shiitake mushroom Lentinula edodes is very important all over the world, due to its nutritional properties. The available studies on the chemical characterization of local shiitake strains that grow in the Iraqi environment and cultivated in the laboratory are not available so far, therefore, the aim of the current work is to quantitative and qualitative determination of amino acids and fatty acids in the strain L. edodes ( OM432157 ) grown in vitro and wild using amino acid analyzer and gas chromatography ( GC ). The results showed that the percentage of total EAA in the fungal strain L. edodes ( OM432157 ) amounted to 37.14% and in the wild strain ( 41.9% ). The predominant essential amino acid in the strain L. edodes was valine. While the proportion of TNEAA in the cultivated strain L. edodes (OM432157) was 56.27% and the wild strain 51.05%, cysteine acid was the predominant component in the cultivated strain, in contrast, glutamic acid was the dominant acid in the wild strain Regarding the fatty acid profile, the unsaturated fatty acids were dominant over the saturated fatty acids in both types of mushrooms. It was observed that PUFA was higher than MUFA in the cultivated strain, and Linolenic acid ( C18:3 ) was the dominant acid and the form 47.6 % of the total fatty acids in contrast to the wild strain which recorded a high percentage of MUFA 83% compared to PUFA12.6%, and palmitoleic acid ( C16: 1) is dominant and constituted 81.9% of the total fatty acids. Our findings contributes to the determination of amino acids and fatty acids in the local strain L. edodes ( OM432157).

Shiitake mushroom Lentinula edodes have been a part of the human diet since ancient times. Mushrooms have gained a lot of attention lately due to their prospects in medicine and nutrient production. Due to the lack of research studies on this fungus globally, particularly in Iraq, this study is considered the first in which agricultural waste is used to produce local food mushrooms. The local strain L. edodes (OM432157), which was discovered for the first time in the Iraqi environment, was cultivated in the laboratory using nine treatments based on sawdust as the main substrate. It was observed that the highest growth rate of the fungus strain under study was in T8 (1.8 cm) and the lowest growth rate in T5 was 1.1 (cm). Fungal tissue growth in treatments (T4, T5) required (29 days), while in treatment T8 it required (26 days), and in other remaining treatments it accomplished in 25 days. The time required for pin heads to form in T5 was obviously faster (17 days), followed by T8 (18 days) and T9 (19 days). In addition, that both treatments (T5, T9) achieved a high yield of mushroom, as T5 was 250 gm, and treatment T8 reached 200 gm. Our findings contributes to product the local strain L. edodes (OM432157) wild in the laboratory by using different substrates.

Due to the great importance of edible fungi, their rapid life cycle, and the possibility of their production throughout the year, their cultivation has become a vital resource that many countries depend on in their pursuit of economic growth and food security.  The present study aimed to devise a local nutrient media for primary mycelium growth of nine species of fungi belonging to Pleurotus eryngii , Pleurotus floridanus , Pleurotus ostreatus (white strain) , Agaricus heterocystis , Agaricus bispous (brown strain ), Agaricus bispous (white strain), Lentinula edodesstrain No. 1, Lentinula edodes strain No. 2, Flammulina velutipe (yellow strain) using culture mycelium inoculation for reproduction and production of edible fungi. Different natural materials used for this purpose involved potato peels in a concentration ranging from 5 to 20 g/ L and compared with the commercial medium Potato Dextrose Agar at a rate of 39 g/Land according to the manufacturer's instructions. The study also focused on the effect of physical factors such as temperature and pH on the growth rate of fungal mycelium. The results showed that the media prepared from potato peels at 5 g/L and 10 g/L concentrations achieved the best growth rate for the studied fungi compared to  Peptone Dextrose Agar (PDA). The increase in the growth rate of fungi on media prepared from potato peels was attributed to the effect of nutrients for the prepared medium because it contained effective and necessary compounds for the growth in addition to their ease of absorption and consumption to be ready for food for agricultural fungi.  The effect on the growth and production of edible fungi or any other type of fungi has not previously been studied and compared to the commercial medium PDA.

Objective To evaluate the possible protective role of honey formed through innovative way by using magnetized water instead of tab water in supplementary feeding for bees (HW) and compared with two honey types formed by two different feeding solutions; sugar syrup (HS) and nectar of flowers (HF) against cyclophosphamide (CP) genotoxicity in mice bone marrow cells, by using the micronucleus assay (MN). Methods Mice were divided into 8 groups from 3 animals each. G1 as control. G2 were exposed to CP (40 mg/kg), G3, G4, and G5 received two dose of three types of honey at doses (300, 600 mg/kg) respectively. The other groups G6, G7 and G8 were supplemented with three types honey (300 mg/kg) in three different experimental protocols, as pre 2 h, post 2 h, and concomitant treatment for 7 and 14 days. Results Examination and analysis of MN showed no mutagenic effect of three types honey per se doses, especially in low dose (300 mg/kg). Meanwhile, CP induced a significant (P < 0.01) increase in MN frequency. While dual treatment with groups of honey HW caused a significant reduction in MN induced by CP in bone marrow cells in a time-dependant manner. Also, the results confirmed the protective efficacy of HW group and/or HF group as compared with HS group, against CP-toxicity. Conclusion Our study suggests using magnetized water in supplementary feeding of bee, that could give the honey protective effect against genotoxicity induced by CP, it is also fosters antioxidant activity of honey constituents. Therefore, honey HW can be used as an adjuvant with chemotherapeutic agents for minimizing the genotoxic side effects of the anticancer drug CP.