Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Cytotoxic Activities of the Scaly Tooth Wild Mushroom, Sarcodon squamosus (Agaricomycetes), from Turkey

Among natural products, mushrooms are well known for their nutritional value and health-improving features. In this study, the total phenolic content, total oxidant status, total antioxidant capacity, lipid hydroperoxides, and total free sulfhydryl levels of wild edible mushroom Sarcodon squamosus were investigated. The agar disc diffusion method was applied to test the antimicrobial effect of S. squamosus methanolic extract against Gram-positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus NCIBM, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633), Gram-negative bacteria (Proteus vulgaris RSKK 96026, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, and Yersinia enterocolitica RSKK 1501), and yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231). According to the obtained results, S. squamosus methanolic extract had strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Antiproliferative effects of the time and dose of S. squamosus extract on human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells were determined with the XTT assay. The anti-invasive and apoptotic potential of the extract was evaluated with the Matrigel invasion chamber and TUNEL assays, respectively. S. squamosus extract also showed antiproliferative and anti-invasive activity and induced apoptosis in HepG2 hepato-cellular carcinoma cells in vitro. In conclusion, S. squamosus can be considered as both a functional food and a source of nutraceuticals.