article · Life
Ganoderma lucidum is a widely recognised medicinal mushroom that grows naturally in northern Moroccan forests, yet its chemical and therapeutic attributes have remained unexamined in this region. An investigation into the methanolic extract of this wild mushroom revealed high concentrations of bioactive compounds, particularly phenolics and flavonoids, alongside sugars, organic acids, fatty acids, amino acids, and steroids. Detailed profiling identified twenty-two individual phenolic substances, prominent among them being kaempferol, apigenin, and quercetin. Testing confirmed that the extract possesses strong antioxidant capacities across several assays. Furthermore, the extract demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against seven human pathogens, spanning two bacterial species and five fungal strains. The fungal pathogen Epidermophyton floccosum showed the highest sensitivity to the extract, whereas Aspergillus fumigatus was the most resistant.
Wild medicinal mushrooms represent a valuable source of natural compounds capable of combating oxidative stress and microbial infections. By establishing the chemical makeup and biological potency of Moroccan Ganoderma lucidum, this research provides the baseline evidence needed to evaluate whether locally harvested wild fungi can serve as reliable natural sources for health-promoting ingredients, potentially benefiting nutritional and medical research.
The findings suggest potential applications for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking functional ingredients, natural antioxidants, or antimicrobial agents. Because this work consists of early-stage laboratory characterisation and in vitro testing of crude extracts, significant development remains necessary. Future translation would require formulation, in vivo validation, standardisation of wild harvesting, and safety testing before any commercial food or medicinal products could be realised.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Ganoderma lucidum is an extensively famous medicinal mushroom distributed worldwide. Despite being widely grown in Moroccan forests, there are no studies on its nutritional, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical values. Herein, the objective of this study was to investigate the chemical characterization and antimicrobial properties of G. lucidum methanolic extract. Total phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, ascorbic acid and carotenoid contents were determined by spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the most prevalent bioactive compounds were phenolics and flavonoids, with total values of 154.60 mg GAE/g of dry methanolic extract (dme) and 60.55 mg CE/mg of dme, respectively. A GC–MS analysis identified 80 biologically active molecules, which were mainly divided into the following major groups: sugars (49.49%), organic acids (8.89%), fatty acids (7.75%), amino acids (7.44%), steroids (7.32%), polyphenols (5.92%), and others (13.16%). Additionally, 22 individual phenolic compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC–MS, with emphasis on kaempferol (1714 µg/g of dry weight (dw)), apigenin (1955 µg/g dw) and quercetin (947.2 µg/g dw). The methanolic extract of G. lucidum indicated strong antioxidant capacity by means of the following: DPPH radical-scavenging activity (53.7 µg/mL), β-carotene/linoleate assay (43.75 µg/mL), and reducing power assay (76.62 µg/mL). Furthermore, the extract exhibited potent antimicrobial properties against seven human pathogenic microorganisms, including two bacteria and five fungal strains, at concentrations ranging from 1 to 16 mg/mL. The most sensitive pathogen was Epidermophyton floccosum (MIC = MFC = 1 mg/mL), while Aspergillus fumigatus was the most resistant one (MIC = 16 mg/mL and MFC ≥ 16 mg/mL). Overall, our findings demonstrated valuable nutritional and bioactive compound attributes, and potent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, of G. lucidum growing in Moroccan forests. Moreover, these findings suggest that the Moroccan mushroom can be extremely useful for the food and medicinal industries to positively affect socioeconomic status.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/life13051217
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
