GC-MS Analysis of Methanolic And N-Hexane Extracts of Freshly Harvested Sclerotia of King Tuber Mushroom (Pleurotus Tuber-Regium (Fr.) Sing.)

Abstract

King tuber mushroom (Pleurotus tuber-regium (Fr.) Sing.) is a macro-fungus, found in the tropics with edible mycelia that serve as underground storage tubers known as sclerotia. The sclerotia grows on decaying wood in the forest, collected by farmers used food, food additives and medicine by trado-medical practitioners in the treatment of stomach ailments, fever, asthma, smallpox, high blood pressure, and cancer. The aim of this research was to identify and quantify compounds with nutritional and health promoting benefits that are present in the methanolic and n-hexane extracts of freshly harvested sclerotia of King tuber mushroom, in order to determine its health benefit claims by trado-medical practitioners. Methanolic and n-hexane extracts of freshly harvested sclerotia were used for chromatography – mass spectrophotometric (GC-MS) analysis. Standard GC-MS conditions for analysis were employed and compounds found in extracts were matched with that of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference library database. GC-MS analysis of methanolic extract revealed the presence of six (6) compounds, which included hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (24.57%) a derivative of palmitic acid, with antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic properties; 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid [-z-z] methyl ester (8.48%) that is a derivative of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid; α-tocospiro A and B (9.40%), with anti-cancer activity. The GC-MS results n-hexane extract showed the presence of eight (8) compounds, which also included hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (12.41%); 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid [-z-z] methyl ester (8.42%); 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, (33.33%) a derivative of oleic acid, with LDL lowering effect and anti-hypertensive property; heptadecanoic acid-16- methyl- methyl ester (10.12%) and 2-methyl-7-phenylindole (8.75%), with anti-cancer activity. Freshly harvested sclerotia of King tuber mushrooms (Pleurotus tuber-regium) contain health beneficial compounds, which may explain its health benefit claims by trado-medical practitioners. These health promoting compounds could be used in the discovery and development of new drugs.