Functional foods such as mushrooms are rich in polyphenolic compounds and secondary metabolites with health-promoting properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and immunostimulatory effects. The present study is aimed to investigate the ethanolic extracts of three varieties of mushrooms, namely, G. lucidum, G. tropicum, and C. indica grown in Bangladesh for phenolic and flavonoid content and their antioxidant properties. Moreover, the phenolic composition of the extracts was analyzed by using the HPLC-DAD system. G. lucidum extract exhibited the highest antioxidant potential as evidenced by its lowest IC₅₀ value in all the tested assay models ( μg/mL, μg/mL, μg/mL in DPPH, H₂O_2, and NO scavenging assay, respectively) along with the highest phenolic content ( GAE g^-1 extract). G. tropicum and C. indica extracts also showed significant antioxidant properties and a good amount of phenolic content, GAE g^-1 extract, and 47.1 ± 0.26 GAE g^-1 extract, respectively. The scavenging activity increased with the increasing concentration of extracts in all cases. The total phenolic content of the ethanolic extracts of mushroom species was highly correlated with antioxidant effects with Pearson’s correlation coefficient () values ranging from 0.8883–0.9851. The α-amylase inhibitory and antibacterial activity of G. lucidum was evaluated by using 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid and disc diffusion method, respectively. The maximum inhibitory activity recorded against α-amylase was at a concentration of 500 μg/mL. G. lucidum extract exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with mm clear zone of inhibition and an MIC value of 3.5 mg/mL. The results indicate that the mushroom species tested in this study could serve as a potential source of natural antioxidants in the development of nutraceuticals and herbal drugs for the management of oxidative stress-associated diseases as well as infectious diseases.

Liver disease is a serious health problem affecting people worldwide at an alarming rate. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects ofGanoderma lucidumagainst CCl₄-induced liver toxicity in rats. The experimental Long Evans rats were divided into five groups, of which four groups were treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). Among the CCl₄treated groups, one of the groups was treated with silymarin and two of them with ethanolic extract ofG. lucidumat 100 and 200 mg/Kg body weight. The oxidative stress parameters and endogenous antioxidant enzyme concentrations were assessed by biochemical tests. Liver enzymes ALT, AST, and ALP were determined spectrophotometrically. Histopathological examinations were carried out to assess hepatic tissue damage and fibrosis. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to determine the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and TGF-β genes. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS) analysis revealed thatG. lucidumis rich in several phytochemicals including 6-Octadecanoic acid (55.81%), l-( +)-Ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate (18.72%), Cis-11-Eicosenamide (5.76%), and Octadecanoic acid (5.26%). Treatment with theG. lucidumextract reduced the elevated ALT, AST, ALP levels, and cellular oxidative stress markers and increased the endogenous antioxidant levels. Histopathology observations revealed that the inflammation, infiltration of immune cells, and aberration of collagen fibers in the hepatocytes were altered by theG. lucidumtreatment. The increased expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-1 β, and IL-6 were markedly suppressed byG. lucidumextract treatment.G. lucidumalso prevented the suppression of protective IL-10 expression by CCl₄. This study strongly suggests thatG. lucidumextract possesses significant hepatoprotective activity as evidenced by reduced oxidative stress and inflammation mediated by suppression in inflammatory cytokine expression and increased protective IL-10 cytokine expression.

Oxidative stress is one of the key factors in the pathophysiology of liver disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of two antioxidants, namely coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and silymarin, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced oxidative stress and hepatic damage in ovariectomized rats. Female Long Evans rats were divided into six groups (n = 6): control, CCl₄, CCl₄ + CoQ10 (200 mg/kg), CCl₄ + silymarin (140 mg/kg), Control + CoQ10, and Control + silymarin. Plasma and tissues from liver and kidney were analyzed for oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant enzyme activities using biochemical assays. Infiltration of inflammatory cells and fibrosis were assessed by histological staining of tissue sections. Both CoQ10 and silymarin significantly lowered serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels that were detected to be higher in CCl₄ rats compared to controls. Significant reduction in CCl₄-induced elevated levels of oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and advanced protein oxidation product (APOP) was observed with both antioxidants. However, in control rats, CoQ10 and silymarin did not produce a significant effect. Histological analysis revealed that CCl₄ markedly increased the level of inflammatory cells infiltration and fibrosis in liver and kidney tissues, but this was significantly reduced in CCl₄ + CoQ10 and CCl₄ + silymarin groups. Taken together, our results suggest that CoQ10 and silymarin can protect the liver against oxidative damage through improved antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced lipid peroxidation. Thus, supplementation of the aforementioned antioxidants may be useful as a therapeutic intervention to protect liver health in chronic liver diseases.

Plants belonging to Citrus sp. are rich in phenolics which are of great medicinal value. The present study focuses on antioxidant and antibacterial potential of various extracts of a locally grown variety of Citrus acida leaves and their correlation with phenolic content. Multiple in-vitro models have been used to evaluate the free radical scavenging potential. Ethanol extract showed the highest DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), nitric oxide, superoxide scavenging and iron chelation activity with IC₅₀ values 40.44±1.41, 132.89±4.69, 94.64±4.44 and 281.88±6.49 μg/ml, respectively. The highest ABTS (2, 2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities with IC₅₀ value 34.95±1.23 and 117.50±2.70 μg/ml, respectively were exhibited by hexane extract. Dose dependent reducing power was observed with all the extracts. The antioxidant potential of the extracts showed significant correlation with the total phenolic content in four assay models with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) values ranging from 0.846–0.989. The extracts showed antibacterial activity against all the test isolates with zone of inhibition ranging from 7.33±1.53 to 28.00±1.00 mm. Maximum antibacterial activity was recorded by ethyl acetate extract against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extract exhibited the lowest MIC values of 2.5 mg/ml against Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio mimicus, respectively. The results suggest that citrus leaves can play a promising role in the development of herbal drugs with antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Background: Acrylamide (ACR), used in various food industries, leads to a number of harmful effects, including nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in humans. In this study, we aimed to explore the protective potential of Swertia chirayita against ACR‐induced hepatorenal toxicities and the underlying mechanism in rats. Method: Liver and kidney damage was induced using ACR in the male Wistar rats. The ethanolic extract of S. chirayita was used to evaluate the protective effects by analyzing oxidative stress markers, proinflammatory gene expression, and histological changes. Results: Experimental results showed that treatment with S. chirayita extract (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg) reduced the serum level of liver function markers AST, ALT, ALP, and kidney function markers creatinine and BUN in the ACR rats. Further analysis showed that S. chirayita notably normalized the aberrant level of oxidative stress markers NO, AOPP, and antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH in the liver and kidney. ACR administration also increased the level of TNF‐α and IL‐1β in the liver and kidney of the ACR rats, which was downregulated by S. chirayita treatment. Histological data revealed that the morphology of the liver and kidney in ACR rats was irregular, and there was a significant accumulation of collagen. Treatment with S. chirayita markedly regularized these changes. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the ethanolic extract of S. chirayita has the potential against ACR‐induced hepatorenal damage in rats by balancing oxidative stress and inflammatory response.