GC-MS Analysis of Bioactive Compounds in Some Wild-Edible Mushrooms from Calabar, Southern Nigeria

Studies to exploit wild mushrooms as a source of biologically active compounds are gaining importance in the recent years. In that view, the present study was carried out to evaluate the bioactive compounds of six wild edible mushrooms: Lentinus squarrosulus Mont., Auricularia auricular-judae (Bull.) Wettst., Mycetinis copelandii (Desjardin) A.W. Wilson & Desjardin, Baeospora myosura (Fr.) Singer, Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex. fr) Kummer and Volvariella volvacea (Bull. ex. Fr.) Singer. The specimen was subjected to phytochemical screening using gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS) with the view to identify the important volatile constituents. The dried sporocarp was subjected to methanol extraction using a Soxhlet extractor and rotatory evaporator. This led to the identification of 14, 26, 33, 5, 49 and 32 different compounds in L. squarrosulus, A. auricular-judae, M. copelandii, B. myosura, P. ostreatus and V. volvacea respectively. n-Hexadecanoic acid; 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- and 2(3H)-Furanone where the most frequently occurring compounds across the studied mushrooms. The identified compound reportedly shows diverse bioactive activities, including antiviral, anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, anaphylactic, narcotic, neurostimulant, emollient, expectorant, laxative, pesticidal, insecticidal and insectifugal activities. This data may provide baseline information about the bioactive constituents of these species from Nigeria, in providing valuable compounds of substantial medicinal and agricultural importance.