New Insight into Mycochemical Profiles and Antioxidant Potential of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms: A Review

Unhealthy foods, lifestyle, environmental factors, ultraviolet radiation, and other factors are responsible for overoxidation, which generates free radicals and leads to oxidative stress, cell damage, and eventually various chronic diseases. Edible and medicinal mushrooms contain large amounts of mycochemicals that possess antioxidant properties and play important roles in preventing and treating those chronic diseases. Edible and medicinal mushrooms have a strong free radical scavenging ability and are involved in various bioactivities and health-promoting benefits. The antioxidant-rich mycochemicals obtained from mushrooms make them attractive alternative and complementary medicines. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have shown, through the use of various analytical methods, that edible and medicinal mushrooms possess antioxidant-rich mycochemicals. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant compounds such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, ascorbate peroxidase, vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione play vital roles in neutralizing oxygen species and thereby protecting cells from damage. Hence, this review summarizes the phytochemical profiles and antioxidant potential of edible and medicinal mushrooms.