3.2. Antioxidant Potential
All tested fungal species exhibited antioxidant activity, as shown in
Table 2. The most notable variations in the strength of antioxidant activity among the analyzed species were observed in the ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH assays. Conversely, no differences were detected in the NO assay. However, it is important to note that activity of extracts in this assay showed significant correlation with both primary and secondary metabolites (
Figure 2).
Conversely, PAs did not correlate with analyzed antioxidant activity. The highest correlation was observed between reduction potential (FRAP assay) and TPC, while scavenging potential for DPPH and NO radicals demonstrated significant correlation both with TPC and TP.
The observed antioxidant activities among the tested fungal species reveal notable variations, with
G. applanatum and
L. nuda emerging as the most potent contributors to antioxidative potential. This outcome is attributed to their high scavenging ability and impressive reduction potential, as outlined in
Table 2. The strongest ability to capture DPPH radical was observed in the following order:
L. nuda >
C. odora >
C. prunulus >
M. elata >
G. applanatum (
Table 2).
G. applanatum, G. resinaceum, M. elata and
L. nuda showed the highest neutralization of ABTS radical (70.42 ± 2.60, 69.70 ± 2.54, 68.88 ± 1.13 and 60.93 ± 4.72 mg TE/g d.w., respectively), while the most potent reduction potential was demonstrated by
G. applanatum and
L. nuda (19.24 ± 1.77 and 18.32 ± 2.89 mg TE/g d.w., respectively). In contrast, the lowest reduction potential, together with DPPH and ABTS scavenging ability was observed in
P. caesia and
C. aegerita (
Table 2). Also, it is important to note that
G. resinaceum showed low antioxidant activity, with the exception of ABTS radical neutralization (69.70 ± 2.54 mg TE/g d.w.).
Notably, the antioxidant activities of
Ganoderma species observed in our study align with several previous investigations. For instance, Zengin et al. [
49] reported higher DPPH and FRAP potential in MeOH extracts of
G. applanatum and
G. resinaceum from Turkey, attributing it to its rich content of phenolic compounds, while ABTS scavenging ability was weaker compared to our results (14.85 ± 1.31 and 41.32 ± 0.39 mg TE/g extract, respectively). The same trend is observed when comparing results of this study to the antioxidant study of these two
Ganoderma species from Poland, where MeOH was also used as extraction solvent [
22]. Similarly, the robust antioxidative performance of
G. applanatum from India and Kenya, especially in DPPH radical scavenging and reduction potential, has been corroborated by studies conducted by Rajoriya et al. [
51] and Siangu et al. [
52]. On the contrary, cultivated mycelia of
G. applanatum extracted with EtOH had weaker DPPH activity (20.35% at the concentration of 20 mg/mL), compared to scavenging ability observed here [
53]. Nevertheless, in our previous investigations, EtOH extracts obtained from
Ganoderma species native to Serbia exhibited markedly greater antioxidant capacity [
8,
9,
50]. A similar pattern was noted in
G. applanatum sourced from China, wherein EtOH extracts demonstrated notable antioxidant activity, achieving 91.76% DPPH inhibition (IC
50 = 0.05642 mg/mL) and 100% ABTS activity (IC
50 = 0.01962 mg/mL) [
54]. This variance could be ascribed to differences in solvent polarity and variations in the experimental protocols employed, since it is well known that solvent polarity affects phenolic content and consequently, impacts antioxidant activity [
55].
Our study reveals significant antioxidant potential in
L. nuda MeOH extracts, but the lack of extensive comparative data on
L. nuda's antioxidant activity makes it challenging to contextualize our findings within the broader scientific landscape. Pinto et al. [
41] compared antioxidant activity of commercial samples of fruiting body and
in vitro cultured mycelia of
L. nuda with wild samples of fruiting body. Results revealed that iMMN culture medium allowed the highest antioxidant potential, followed by commercial fruiting bodies, while wild types showed lower activity and TPC [
41]. When compared to our results, it can be observed that DPPH activity of wild type of this fungal species from Portugal was higher (EC
50 = 15.48 ± 0.23 mg/ml) [
41], while EtOH extract of
L. nuda from Turkey showed lower DPPH activity with range of 2.79% to 50.20% inhibition [
56]. The observed antioxidant activity suggests that
L. nuda may hold promise as a natural source of antioxidants, but caution is warranted in drawing definitive conclusions without a more extensive comparative framework.
C. odora demonstrated a pronounced neutralization of DPPH radicals, showcasing notable antioxidant activity, comparable to results of MeOH extracts from Turkey, where high DPPH scavenging ability was noticed (73.38 ± 1.60% at the concentration of 2 mg/mL) [
47]. Moreover, Vaz et al. [
38] performed two different extraction methods to obtain extracts of
C. odora from Portugal with high molecular weight compounds, such as polysaccharides and low molecular weight compounds, such as phenolic compounds. Results demonstrated twice as higher DPPH activity of water-soluble polysaccharide extract (EC
50 = 3.56 ± 0.13 mg/mL) compared to tested EtOH extract (EC
50 = 6.77 ± 0.05 mg/mL), which was in accordance with the extraction yield, since EtOH fractions were lower compared to water soluble [
38]. In contrast, the EtOH extract from a wild sample gathered in the Niš region of Serbia displayed comparatively lower antioxidant activity, likely attributed to reduced levels of antioxidant components present in the extract [
48]. This further indicates the importance of fungal geographical origin and polarity of solvent for extraction yield of bioactive compounds, and consequently the investigated bioactivity.
C. prunulus and
M. elata also demonstrated notable antioxidant activity and to the best of our knowledge this is the first report on antioxidant activity of these species from Serbia, and Balkan region in general. In literature data there is only one available study of
C. prunulus from Portugal, where moderate DPPH scavenging ability was observed, owing to the lower content of TPC, while the highest level of ascorbic acid was detected [
40]. However, compared to our results, a sample from Portugal exhibited higher DPPH activity and reduction potential with EC
50 values of 1.75 ± 0.13 mg/mL and 3.36 ± 0.03 mg/mL, respectively [
40]. Also, ethyl acetate and MeOH extracts of
M. elata from India showed higher DPPH, NO and ABTS neutralization compared to results of this study [
57], while Kalyoncu et al. [
58] reported lower antioxidant activity of
M. elata from Turkey, with 59.22% of DPPH inhibition. Reduction potential of this species collected in Australia was also significantly higher (63.0 ± 0.3 mmol Fe[II]-E/g extract) [
46], supporting the notion that habitat ecology, extraction procedure and solvent polarity may affect antioxidant activity.
Conversely, the comparatively lower antioxidant activity observed in
C. aegerita in our study is consistent with the findings of Karaman et al. [
45], where low DPPH activity and reduction potential were detected (45.3 ± 0.35 mg TE/g d.w. and 10.74 ± 0.09 mg TE/g d.w., respectively), while Petrović et al. [
42] reported higher DPPH activity of MeOH extract (EC
50 = 7.23 ± 0.18 mg/mL). Also, higher DPPH and NO scavenging abilities were demonstrated for EtOH extract of
C. aegerita from India at the same concentration tested - 20 mg/mL (85.63 ± 0.12% and 82.02 ± 0.12%, respectively) [
59]. Concerning the
P. caesia extract, the notably low antioxidant activity may be linked to its very low TPC. It is crucial to underscore the pioneering nature of this research, as there is currently no existing literature data regarding the antioxidant activity of this particular species. Hence, the investigation into the antioxidant activity of
P. caesia has provided valuable insights, although the scarcity of comparable literature on this specific mushroom presents both a challenge and an opportunity for further research.
All these observations align with the concept that the antioxidant capabilities can vary significantly across distinct fungal taxa.
3.3. AChE inhibitory potential
Among eight different fungal extracts, only three did not exhibit anti-AChE activity (
Figure 3).
The strongest potency for inhibition of AChE enzyme was observed for
L. nuda (99.94 ± 3.10 %)
, G. applanatum (98.05 ± 0.83%) and
P. caesia (88.21 ± 4.76%), which is higher compared to the percent of inhibition of the positive control (donepezil) (87.44%).
M. elata and
C. prunulus exhibited a moderate level of anti-AChE activity, whereas
C. odora, C. aegerita, and
G. resinaceum demonstrated an inhibition exceeding 100% across the tested concentration range (
Figure 3).
The observed high anti-AChE activity of
L. nuda, G. applanatum and
P. caesia suggests that these species may contain bioactive compounds capable of interfering with the AChE enzyme, which is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, various species of
Ganoderma, especially
G. lucidum have been reported to possess neuroprotective properties and exhibit cholinesterase inhibitory activity [
8,
22,
60]. Tel-Cayan et al. [
61] documented anti-AChE activity in four distinct types of extracts from
G. adspersum sourced from Turkey, with the MeOH extract demonstrating an inhibition rate of 41.34 ± 3.79, which was more than two times lower in comparison with this study for
G. applanatum. Moreover, Kozarski et al. [
39] reported that hot water extract of
G. resinaceum at a concentration of 1 mg/mL achieved 81.6 ± 6.5 % anti-AChE activity which was significantly higher than results from our study. At the same time, Rašeta et al. [
8] observed comparable anti-AChE effects in water extracts from four distinct autochthonous
Ganoderma species from Serbia (
G. applanatum,
G. lucidum,
G. pfeifferi, and
G. resinaceum). The reported activity fell within the 1.04 - 1.05 mg GALAE/g extract range. In a subsequent study conducted two years later, Sułkowska-Ziaja et al. [
22] documented comparable activity in MeOH extracts derived from mycelial cultures of four specific
Ganoderma species:
G. adspersum,
G. applanatum,
G. carnosum,
G. lucidum,
G. pfeifferi, and
G. resinaceum with reported values in the range of 1.19 to 1.22 mg GALAE/g extract. However, extracts from
G. applanatum and
G. resinaceum did not exhibit any discernible activity.
Additionally, Akata and colleagues [
62] documented anti-AChE effects in various fungal species, including
Agaricus campestris,
Coprinus comatus,
Leucoagaricus leucothites,
Lycoperdon utriforme,
Macrolepiota mastoidea, and
Macrolepiota procera, sourced from diverse regions in Turkey. Thtey observed that the activity was notably lower (ranging from 0.83 to 0.97 mg GALAE/g extract) compared to our previously reported study involving
Ganoderma species using the same experimental procedure [
8].
The concentration of phenolic compounds from
Ganoderma and other fungal species was attributed to AChE inhibition by many authors [
63,
64,
65,
66,
67]. Hence, differences in the inhibition of AChE observed in our study between the two
Ganoderma species may be linked to variations in their secondary metabolite profiles, since
G. applanatum extract demonstrated twice the TPC compared to the extract of
G. resinaceum, which did not exhibit anti-AChE activity at the tested concentration. Noteworthy is that
G. applanatum contained higher TP, compared to extract of
G. resinaceum which may have had the effect on the obtained activity. In our previously published study, it was observed that
G. applanatum EtOH extracts exhibited a fivefold higher TPC compared to the corresponding extract from
G. resinaceum (265.38 ± 0.81 and 50.87 ± 0.29 mg GAE/g d.w., respectively). Interestingly, despite this difference in TPC, both extracts demonstrated equivalent levels of activity [
8].
For instance, polysaccharides isolated from both the fruiting bodies and primordia of
G. lucidum demonstrated neuroprotective properties [
21,
55,
60,
68]. In addition, based on the study conducted by Liu et al. [
69], it is known that polysaccharides from
C. aegerita significantly prolong lifespan of
Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism and alleviate oxidative stress induced by H
2O
2. Interestingly,
G. applanatum, which exhibited significant AChE inhibition, also demonstrated a higher concentration of PUT and SPD compared to
G. resinaceum. The presence of elevated levels of PUT and SPD in
G. applanatum may also contribute to its pronounced AChE inhibitory effects since these PAs have been implicated in neuroprotective mechanisms and may interact with AChE, potentially altering its catalytic activity due to its positive charge and chaperone like activity [
15,
70]. This is supported by the results of the correlation analysis, which showed a high positive correlation between AChE inhibition and levels of PUT and SPD (
Figure 3). Conversely,
G. resinaceum, which did not show notable AChE inhibition in our study, displayed a distinct PA profile. The lower levels of specific PAs in
G. resinaceum may suggest a reduced impact on AChE activity. This correlation raises intriguing questions about the connection between PAs and AChE inhibition in
Ganoderma species and suggests a possible synergistic effect.
In this study, the investigation into AChE inhibition among other investigated fungal species, marks a novel exploration in the field. To the best of our knowledge, prior to this research, AChE activity in L. nuda, P. caesia, C. aegerita, C. odora, M. elata and C. prunulus remained largely unexplored. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized potential for AChE modulation within these fungal species.
Polysaccharides isolated from
L. nuda showed antioxidant and immuno-modulatory activities [
71], while the substantial anti-AChE activity observed in the
L. nuda extract may be attributed to a synergistic influence of both secondary and primary metabolites. This is supported by the presence of a high TPC, moderate levels of PUT and SPD, and a high TP content quantified in this extract. On the other hand, high inhibition of AChE enzyme by extract of
P. caesia coincides with an elevation in specific PAs, including PUT and SPD, while TPC and TP were among the lowest. This supports the indications that PAs may play a crucial role as neuroprotective agents [
70,
72,
73,
74].
The anticipated inhibitory activity against the target enzyme was not expressed in C. odora and C. aegerita, despite the high PAs level. This suggests the possibility that the assessed concentration might fall below the effective threshold required for the manifestation of the desired biological activity and that the selected concentration may not have been optimal for eliciting the anticipated responses. Hence, a broader concentration range or alternative formulations may be necessary to uncover the latent pharmacological potential of these fungal species.
The variations in anti-AChE activity across different mushroom species, as evidenced by the contrast within this study, underscore the importance of species-specific considerations. Differences in phytochemical profiles, environmental factors, and genetic variations among mushrooms may influence their bioactivity [
3]. This emphasizes the significance of comprehensive studies to understand the complex effects of individual fungal species on AChE inhibition. Furthermore, the connection between PAs and neuroprotective activity has not been completely understood, although it has been suggested that it is closely linked to PA machinery. Especially, SPM and SPD accumulated in glia brain cells due to its multiple positive charge affect many neuronal and glial receptors, channels, and transporters and therefore affect many neurologic diseases including global amnesia, depression, stress, anxiety, autism, glioblastoma multiforme, glaucoma, migraines, neuropathic pain, sleeplessness, and drug addiction [
75]. Furthermore, PAs are prone to cause forming of the protein aggregation and to accelerate rate of fibrillization in the lysozyme, that can lead to neuropathic and non-neuropathic amyloidosis, that are associated to Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease as well as for the aging [
76]. Intriguingly, it has been documented that PAs improve social memory formation, synoptic plasticity, behavior and learning but also increased production of PAs has been reported during Alzheimer disease, although biphasic behavior and ambiguous effects PAs to AChE activity has been established [
77]. Although PAs are generally proposed to support cholinergic activity, according to Kossorotow et al. [
78] at low micromolar concentration range, SPM and SPD may either stimulate or inhibit AChE activity depending on amounts of acetylcholine, while at low acetylcholine amounts, inhibitory effect of PAs on AChE prevails. Moreover, it has been documented that PAs are powerful regulators of Alzheimer disease through dietary intervention and microbiota manipulation, such as probiotic supplementation e.g.,
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LKM512 [
79]. This supplementation of gut probiotics resulted in an increase in PA levels in the intestines and alleviated inflammation in the colon [
80], while on the other hand affected the brain's memory and mice’s social behavior during AD [
79]. A potential avenue for future research in this area could involve elucidating the effects of a PA-abundant fungi diet on mice's PA metabolism and the development of AD.
Our study sheds light on this uncharted territory, as we demonstrate for the first time that PAs in these fungal strains may exhibit neuroprotective properties. This discovery challenges the current understanding of the role of PAs in fungal biology and underscores the need for future investigations into the potential therapeutic applications of fungal PAs in neuroprotection. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of our study and the need for further investigations to elucidate the specific compounds responsible for the observed inhibitory effects. The identification of these compounds could provide insights into the underlying mechanisms and contribute to the development of targeted therapies for neurodegenerative conditions. Moreover, in vivo studies are crucial to validate our in vitro findings and assess the potential bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of active compounds from edible fungi.
3.4. PCA analysis
The PCA was employed to discern patterns and relationships among the quantified compounds (TP, TPC, TF and PAs) and antioxidant and anti-AChE activity of all investigated fungal species (
Figure 4).
The first two principal components, PC1, and PC2, accounted for 67.23% of the total variance, indicating substantial representation of the dataset. The results of the PCA highlight the inherent variability in our dataset and offer insights into the key factors influencing the observed trends. Stronger separation was conducted in the horizontal plane of the PC2, with TP and TPC loading in the I quadrant and PAs in the II quadrant.
Significantly, both PUT and SPD demonstrated a high positive loading on both PCs, along with anti-AChE, indicating their notable involvement in this activity—a correlation that is further supported by the correlation analysis results. Additionally, these variables separate C. aegerita, C. odora, and P. caesia from the other fungal species, suggesting that PAs imply a pivotal role in influencing the observed AChE inhibitory activity of selected fungi. This is supported with the results of PAs quantification, since the highest levels of SPD and PUT were detected in these species. While C. aegerita and C. odora did not demonstrate AChE enzyme inhibition, the levels of PUT and SPD in P. caesia likely exerted a significant influence on this activity. This is evident as P. caesia exhibited one of the most robust anti-AChE activities among the tested fungal species. When it comes to SPM level, the right angle with anti-AChE vector indicates that there is no correlation between these two variables.
Conversely, TP and TPC displayed a negative loading on PC2 together with variables of antioxidant assays indicating its inverse relationship with anti-AChE activity and PAs level. Within the first quadrant, TPC showed a notably strong positive correlation with reduction potential (FRAP assay) and a slightly weaker positive correlation with NO and DPPH scavenging ability. Conversely, DPPH exhibited a strong correlation with TP, followed by NO and FRAP activity. These correlations align with those observed in the heatmap from the correlation analysis (
Figure 2). In the negative sector of both PC1 and PC2, TFC and ABTS were present, indicating a robust positive correlation between these variables, as confirmed by correlation analysis as well. Nevertheless, clustering of
Ganoderma species and
M. elata in the negative part of PC is in accordance with the results of this study, since these species had the strongest ABTS scavenging ability and the highest levels of TFC. On the other hand, clustering of
C. prunulus and
L. nuda is characterized with high TPC, TP and strong DPPH, NO and FRAP activity, and lower PAs level, which is in accordance with the results obtained.
The clustering observed in the scores plot hints at potential subgroups which exhibit different levels of tested activities and active compounds, but that grouping is not based on the tropism, nor taxonomic placement of investigated species, except closely related Ganoderma species. Hence, we assume that different environmental factors and species-specific characteristics affect variations in detected compounds and activities, prompting further investigation into the biological factors contributing to these distinct patterns.