Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Contemporary civilization is facing more than thousands of disorders accompanied with free radicals. Antioxidants from edible and non-edible mushrooms are gaining importance to fight these disorders. The current investigation was intended to evaluate antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of a well known edible oyster mushroom, Pleurotus highking (P. highking). Antioxidant activity of the methanolic crude extracts of Pleurotus highking was done on total phenolic contents and reducing power activity. Cytotoxic study was performed by brine shrimp lethality bioassay with the larvae of Artemia salina. Total phenolic contents of the extracts was found to be 20.100±0.049 mg of catechin/gm of dried extract whereas the reducing power activity of the extracts was found to be dose depended and was 0.062, 0.091, 0.146, 0.283 and 0.618 at concentration of 6.25 µg/ml, 12.5 µg/ml, 25 µg/ml, 50 µg/ml and 100 µg/ml of the extract respectively. The cytotoxic potentiality of the extracts was found as dose and time depended manner. 100% mortality rate of the brine shrimp larvae was found at a concentration of 480 µg/ml and more. The LC₅₀ of the extracts was found to be 7.94 µg/ml. The present study suggests that the P. highking possesses remarkable antioxidant and cytotoxic property.