title: Expanding current knowledge on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the genus Lactarius.
abstract: Despite the presence of toxic compounds in inedible mushrooms, the question whether the chemical nutrients and non-nutrients compositions in edible and inedible Lactarius species are similar remains unanswered. To answer this question, Lactarius citriolens Pouzar and Lactarius turpis (Weinm.) Fr., two inedible species, were studied in order to obtain information about their chemical composition and bioactivity. Free sugars, fatty acids, tocopherols, organic and phenolic acids were analysed by chromatographic techniques coupled to different detectors. L. citriolens and L. turpis methanolic extracts were tested regarding antioxidant potential (reducing power, radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation inhibition). The composition of macronutrients varied among the two species, but the profiles were similar between them and among other Lactarius species; L. citriolens gave the highest energy contribution, saturated fatty acids and organic acids, while the L. turpis sample was richer in free sugars, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and phenolic compounds. L. turpis methanolic extract showed the highest antioxidant activity. The absence of hepatoxicity of the methanolic extracts was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells (in vitro conditions). The present study provided new information about wild L. citriolens and L. turpis, comparing their chemical composition and antioxidant properties with other Lactarius species, and expanding the knowledge about this genus.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), ESA, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal. amartins@ipb.pt.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), ESA, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal. lillian@ipb.pt.
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Ap. 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal. amartins@ipb.pt.
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), ESA, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855 Bragança, Portugal. iferreira@ipb.pt.
authors.forename: Isabel C F R
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D048690:Fruiting Bodies, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry*; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates