Chemical Characterization and Bioactive Properties of the Edible and Medicinal Honey Mushroom Armillaria mellea (Agaricomycetes) from Serbia

Abstract

Honey mushroom, <i>Armillaria mellea</i>, is an edible and medicinal lignicolous basidiomycete. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition and bioactive properties of its methanolic and acetonic extracts. The chemical characterization of extracts was done with the HPLC-DAD-MS/MS method. The results showed that potassium was the most abundant mineral; chlorogenic acid was the most abundant polyphenol; malic acid was the most abundant organic acid; and among carbohydrates, the most abundant were sorbitol, glucose, fructose, and saccharose. Antioxidative activity was assessed by DPPH (IC<sub>50</sub> of the methanolic extract was 608.32 μg/mL and of the acetonic extract 595.71 μg/mL) and reducing power assays (the results ranged between 0.034 and 0.102 μg/mL). Total phenolic content was determined as gallic acid equivalent (methanolic extract: 4.74 mg GAE/g; acetonic extract: 5.68 mg GAE/g). The microdilution assay was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the extracts, and the results ranged from 1.25 to 20 mg/mL. The antidiabetic effect of the extracts was tested by the α-amylase (the results ranged from 34.90% to 41.98%) and α-glucosidase assays (the results were in the range of 0.55-2.79%). The neuroprotective activity was explored by the acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay (the results were in the range of 1.94-7.76%). The microtetrazolium assay was used to investigate the cytotoxic activity of the extracts (the IC<sub>50</sub> values ranged from 212.06 to > 400 μg/mL). Although some results suggest that some activities of the extracts are relatively moderate, the honey mushroom can still be considered an excellent source of food and bioactive compounds with medicinal value.