Termitomyces striatus : A Novel Mycofood With a Rational Pharmacological Approach

The folk population of India has a mycophilic inclination, and wild mushrooms may help sustain their livelihood. One such wild mushroom has been reported from India and is traditionally consumed as a myco‐food by ethnic communities. ITS rDNA‐based phylogenetic analysis identified the collected mushroom as Termitomyces striatus . To explore its therapeutic prospects, an ethanol extract (TP‐ETH) was prepared. The TP‐ETH was enriched in phenolics, followed by flavonoids, β‐carotene and lycopene. TP‐ETH demonstrated potent anti‐oxidant activity with EC 50 values ranging from 591 to 1500 μg/mL. Interestingly, TP‐ETH also showed effective anti‐microbial activity against the tested pathogenic microorganisms. The formulation also showed remarkable specificity for MDA‐MB‐231 cells, a breast cancer cell line. When exposed to TP‐ETH, these cells underwent distinct apoptotic morphological changes, experienced cell‐cycle disruption with a surge in intracellular ROS production and showed a decline in Δ ψ m and anti‐apoptotic markers (Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL and Mcl‐1), indicating initiation of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. This study reported T. striatus from India, which holds immense potential for human health. This mushroom can be used to develop pharmaceutical formulations for human well‐being.