Eleni Stavraki
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Biography
Eleni Stavraki has graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University of Bratislava (SK). Four years working experience as a pharmacist influenced her on phytochemistry and the value of herbal medicines. Therefore, she participated in the master program of the Division of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Dept. of Pharmacy, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), and devoted her research on medicinal mushrooms. In the framework of this study, she had the opportunity to learn phytochemical methods on the isolation, structural elucidation and further applications of bioactive natural products
Abstract
In the framework of our phytochemical studies on edible mushrooms, we report herein, the chemical analyses of selected species of truffles (Tuber aestivum, T. melanosporum, T. mesentericum, T. magnatum, T. borchii, T. brumale and T. uncinatum) and Ganoderma lucidum growing wild in North Greece (all truffles) and Lesvos island respectively. Truffles are the fruiting bodies of mychorrhizal filamentous fungi well-known and valuable, as food, since antiquity [1] regarding to their unique taste and peculiar aroma. G. lucidum is the most appreciated and widely used medicinal mushroom in Asia, since last 2400 years [2]. The aim of this study was to qualify and quantify their aroma profile, by Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) οn fresh, frozen and dried samples, comparing them with five (5) commercial truffle olive oils of the Greek market.. Isolation procedures through different extractions and analytical techniques were further evaluated and the isolated metabolites were structurally determined by modern spectral means. All studied samples were compared regarding their total phenolic content by Follin Ciocalteau. Their antioxidant and in vitro enzyme inhibitory properties were determined using free radical scavenging (DPPH, ABTS), reducing power (FRAP, CUPRAC), phosphomolybdenum and ferrous ion chelating assays, while they were also evaluated against cholinesterases, α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes [3,4,5]. Finally, their antimicrobial activity was evaluated against a panel of human pathogenic bacteria and fungi, showing an interesting profile.