Proximate Analysis and Antioxidant Potential of Schizophyllum commune Ethanolic Extract

Abstract

Mushrooms are vital components of the forest ecosystems that play an important ecological role, economic advantage and provide nutritious food to humans. The study used the standard protocol to determine the proximate analysis of a wild and edible mushroom, Schizophyllum commune. The ethanolic crude extract was analyzed for the total phenolic content (TPC) using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the total flavonoid (TFC) using aluminum chloride. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Proximate analysis of the sample revealed that apart from moisture content (60.60±0.122%), it has a high amount of bioactive carbohydrates (25.15±0.005%), crude protein content (7.63±0.325%), ash content (6.17±0.001%), crude fiber (0.18±0.032%), and fat content (0.27±0.263%) which worth it to be nutritious food. The final concentration for TPC is 1.27±006 mgGAE/g and TFC is 17.18±0.054 mgRE/g. The extract exhibited a potential antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ = 1.39±0.005 mg/mL. The results suggest that the ethanolic crude extract of S. commune contains a natural antioxidant potential, which could be used for future applications in food, dietary supplements, and pharmaceutical industries.