title: Biological activity and fatty acid composition of Caesar's mushroom.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to its pleasant aroma and flavor, Amanita caesarea (Scop.) Pers. (Amanitaceae) has been a famous macrofungus since ancient times. This species is also well known in Turkey where people consume it extensively.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the medicinal importance of A. caesarea for human health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antioxidant capacity of A. caesarea was studied using the methods of a scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, β-carotene-linoleic acid assay, reducing power and estimation of phenolics. Chloroform, acetone and methanol extracts of A. caesarea were tested for their antimicrobial activity against four Gram-positive bacteria, five Gram-negative bacteria and one yeast by applying a micro dilution method. The fatty acids were estimated via the method of gas chromatography analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scavenging effect of A. caesarea on DPPH radicals was measured as 40.91% at 0.5 mg/mL concentration, and its reducing power was 0.451 mg/mL at 1.2 mg/mL concentration. The phenolics found were catechin (32.5 mg/g), ferulic acid (7 mg/g), p-coumaric acid (6 mg/g) and cinnamic acid (6.2 mg/g). The highest minimum inhibitory concentration observed against the test microorganisms were with the acetone extract (4.8 µg/mL concentration) against Candida albicans. Thirty-seven different fatty acids were determined from A. caesarea, and oleic acid (58%) was the dominant component.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amanita caesarea had a high-antioxidant and -antimicrobial activity, and it also had important essential fatty acids required for human health. According to the results, this mushroom can be recommended as a major source of natural food.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Science Faculty, Selcuk University, Campus, Konya, Turkey. hhuseyindogan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hasan Hüseyin
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Gülsün
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akbaş
mesh_terms: D000545:Amanita / Q000737:chemistry*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010636:Phenols