Oxidative stress caused by an imbalanced metabolism and an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) lead to a range of health disorders in humans. Our endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms and our dietary intake of antioxidants potentially regulate our oxidative homeostasis. Numerous synthetic antioxidants can effectively improve defense mechanisms, but because of their adverse toxic effects under certain conditions, preference is given to natural compounds. Consequently, the requirements for natural, alternative sources of antioxidant foods identified in edible mushrooms, as well as the mechanistic action involved in their antioxidant properties, have increased rapidly. Chemical composition and antioxidant potential of mushrooms have been intensively studied. Edible mushrooms might be used directly in enhancement of antioxidant defenses through dietary supplementation to reduce the level of oxidative stress. Wild or cultivated, they have been related to significant antioxidant properties due to their bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, vitamins, carotenoids and minerals. Antioxidant and health benefits, observed in edible mushrooms, seem an additional reason for their traditional use as a popular delicacy food. This review discusses the consumption of edible mushrooms as a powerful instrument in maintaining health, longevity and life quality.

Wine, the fermented juice of the grape (Vitis vinifera), is a complex beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol. On the other hand, phenolic compounds are less abundant components that participate in taste and color formation. In addition to their major role in the sensory profile of wine, phenolic compounds (also referred as polyphenols) function through various mechanisms, exerting positive influence on health. According to recent research, consuming just one glass of red wine positively contributes to health protection, and it is connected to the maintenance of the redox endothelial balance, potential for reducing diabetes occurrence, preventing atherosclerosis, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. What is more, a lower incidence of certain types of cancers has also been observed. The health promoting benefits of wine are explained by its wide spectrum of structurally diverse phenolic compounds whose content may depend on numerous factors. The most abundant compounds are anthocyanins with up to 400 mg/L, followed by phenolic acids, flavanols, flavonols, hydrolyzable tannins, flavanones, and stilbenes (up to 200, 120, 60, 50, 25, and 5 mg/L, respectively). This review paper outlines the structural variety, health advantages, and immunomodulatory capacity of wine polyphenols, drawing upon the latest and most pertinent scientific literature available in this domain.

The mushroom industry should implement green extraction technologies; however, there is not enough information on the differences between these techniques expressed as the chemical composition of the resulting extract. In this study, selected types of green extraction techniques (GETs) were used on Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) (Fr.) Pilát from Serbia (IS) and Mongolia (IM) to examine the differences that would enable the composition-based technology choices in the mushroom supplement industry. Subcritical water extraction (SWE), microwave-assisted (MW) extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (VAE) were used to prepare the extracts. SWE was performed at two different temperatures (120 and 200 °C), while 96% ethanol, 50% ethanol, and water were used for MW and VAE. The yield, the content of total phenols, total proteins, and carbohydrates, qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, including α- and β- and total glucans, and fatty acids, were determined in the obtained extracts. SWE resulted in a significantly higher yield, total polysaccharide, and glucan content than any other technique. Glucose was the most dominant monosaccharide in the SWE samples, especially those extracted at 200 °C. The MW 50% EtOH extracts showed the highest yield of total phenols. Among the tested phenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid was the most dominant. SWE can be recommended as the most efficient method for extracting commercially important compounds, especially glucans and phenols.

Tisane is a fruit or herbal infusion, commonly referred to as herbal tea. These products are consumed as part of a balanced diet, which is closely related to the trend of a healthier lifestyle. In this work, tisanes prepared from rosehip (R), and herbal mixtures containing rosehip/hibiscus flowers (R/H) and rosehip/hibiscus flowers/saffron (R/H/S) were studied. Rosehip was dried by the convective drying method at 40, 50 and 60 °C. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total flavonol content (TFlC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), antioxidant properties (DPPH^∙ and ABTS^∙+ assays) and in vitro inhibitory potential toward α-amylase of tisanes were examined. The highest TPC (based on dry weight (dw)) was measured in tisane obtained from rosehip dried at 60 °C (37.84 mg GAE/g dw). Tisanes prepared from a R/H/S mixture had the highest values of TFC (4.66–6.13 mg QUE/g dw), TFlC (2.67–3.98 mg QUE/g dw) and TAC (1.35–2.27 mg Cy 3-glc/g dw). The highest DPPH^∙ scavenging activity (53.42 mg TE/g dw) was measured in rosehip (dried at 60 °C) tisane, whereas tisane prepared from a rosehip (dried at 60 °C)/hibiscus mixture expressed the best ABTS^∙+ scavenging activity (107.44 mg TE/g dw). All tisane samples expressed high inhibitory potential toward α-amylase, with the highest activity of 85.03% and 89.90%, measured for tisanes prepared from rosehip/hibiscus flowers mixture (rosehip dried at 50 and 60 °C, respectively).

The health promoting effects of hot water extracts obtained from fruiting bodies of the commercially cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus (AbHW) and the wild-growing mushroom Ganoderma resinaceum (GrHW) originating from northern Serbia are presented in this research. These abilities were compared in vitro by the prevention of lipid peroxidation (LPx) in a linoleic acid model system, inhibition of the angiotension converting I enzyme (ACE) that could help in the maintenance of a normal blood pressure level and strengthening the ability of the central cholinergic neuron by inhibiting the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Cytotoxic activities were observed towards selected human malignant (HeLa and K562) cell lines and normal- -human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). GrHW contains higher phenolics (5.9 g (100 g)-1), inhibition of LPx (EC50 = 1.07 mg mL-1), ACE (IC50 = 0.54 mg mL-1) and AChE (IC50 = 0.37 mg mL-1), and exhibited a significant selectivity in the antitumour action against HeLa (IC50 = 0.14 mg mL-1) and K562 (IC50 = 0.11 mg mL-1) cells. AbHW contained higher total protein (6.4 g (100 g)-1), carbohydrate (75.4 g (100 g)-1) and ?-glucan (55.1 g (100 g)-1) contents and induced significant proliferation of healthy PBMC from 152?116 % in the concentration range of 0.047?0.187 mg mL-1. The difference in the biological activity of the extracts provides guidance on their use as functional food.

Growing mushrooms means meeting challenges while aiming for sustainability and circularity. Wherever the producer is located, commercial strains are the same originating from several producers. Customized strains adapted to local conditions are urgently needed. Before introducing new species to the strain development pipeline, the chemical characterization and biological activity of wild ones need to be assessed. Accordingly, the mycoceutical potential of five polypore mushroom species from Serbia was evaluated including: secondary metabolite composition, oxidative damage prevention, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). The phenolic pattern was comparable in all samples, but the amounts of specific chemicals varied. Hydroxybenzoic acids were the primary components. All samples had varying quantities of ascorbic acid, carotene, and lycopene, and showed a pronounced inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPx) and ability to scavenge HO^•. Extracts were more potent tyrosinase inhibitors but unsuccessful when faced with ACE. Fomitopsis pinicola had the strongest anti-tumor efficacy while Ganoderma lucidum demonstrated strong selectivity in anti-tumor effect in comparison to normal cells. The evaluated species provided a solid foundation for commercial development while keeping local ecology in mind.