Biological Activities of Leucoagaricus leucothites Mushroom: Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anticholinesterase and Antiproliferative Effects

Mushrooms have constituted a wide research area as natural resources exhibiting medically important biological activities. This study aimed to investigate the biological activities of Leucoagaricus leucothites (Vittad.) Wasser mushroom comprehensively. Ethanol extract of the mushroom was obtained by Soxhlet extraction method. To determine the biological potential of the extract, total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) analyses were performed by Rel Assay kits. In addition, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzyme activities were measured to evaluate the anticholinesterase activity of the mushroom. A549 lung cancer cell line was used to determine the antiproliferative effect. The obtained data showed that the TAS value of L. leucothites was 6.109±0.078 mmol/L and the TOS value was 15.364±0.149 µmol/L. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated as 0.251±0.003. In terms of anticholinesterase activity, AChE inhibition value was found as 106.08±1.76 µg/mL, BChE inhibition value was found as 129.88±1.62 µg/mL. Antiproliferative effect increased in parallel with the increase in concentration, and this situation revealed that L. leucothites has a strong potential in terms of biological activities. These findings show that L. leucothites can be used in health supportive treatment approaches and can be a valuable source in pharmaceutical applications.