Amanita ponderosa mushrooms: inorganic profile and toxicological evaluation

Abstract

Amanita ponderosa are wild eatable mushrooms that grow spontaneously in some microclimates, particularly in Alentejo and Andalusia. Due to the symbiotic relation, mushrooms can accumulate high metal concentrations, consequently is important to estimate the trace metal contents to assessing exposure risks. Mushrooms contain many different dietary nutrients with high antioxidant capacity, such as phenolic compounds and vitamins. Polysaccharides are believed to be the bioactive ingredients involved in antimicrobial, antitumoral and anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, mushrooms are attractive as functional foods. In this study, we evaluate the inorganic composition of several A. ponderosa strains and the toxicological effects of phenolic and protein-polysaccharide extracts.