Profiling the antioxidant potential of <i>Phylloporia pectinata</i> and HPLC analysis of its hot water extract

The presence of 19 polyphenolic compounds were evaluated through the mass spectrometric analysis of the hot water extracts of the poroid mushroom <i>Phylloporia pectinata</i> (Klotzsch) Ryvarden. Among these, Phelligridin D stood as the principle polyphenolic entity within the poroid mushroom under examination. The total phenolic content in <i>Phylloporia pectinata</i> was assessed, taking into account the tannin acid equivalents (TAE). To evaluate the antioxidant efficacy, various radical scavenging assays including hydroxyl, superoxide, and 2,2-diphenyl 1-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were considered using different solvent extracts prepared from the powdered basidiocarps. Maximum TAE (24.75 mg/g) were found in hot water (HW) extract, which was obtained for 1.5 h of extraction, significantly surpassing the results obtained from the ethanolic (1.66 mg/g) and methanolic (2.64 mg/g) extracts. The study was further reinforced by the remarkable antioxidant potential of the HW extract, evidenced by high hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (94.05%), superoxide radical scavenging activity (90.8%), and DPPH radical scavenging activity (76.2%) obtained for 1.5 h. This prominence was substantiated through high-performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC), underscoring its significant contribution towards the oxidative defence mechanism.