Author(s)

Marina Kisuba Kabuyi^1*, Paulin Mutwale Kapepula^2*, Jimmy Kabeya Kabengele², Bénédicte Moni¹, Gisèle Makengo¹, Patricia Mbombo Mungitshi², Adam Tujibikila Mukuta², Clement Mbadiko Mutunda¹, Simon Dibaluka Mpulusu³, Jean Paul Koto-Te-Nyiwa Ngbolua³, Nadège Ngombe Kabamba², Théophile Mbemba Fundu¹

¹Research Laboratory of Food and Nutrition (LARAN), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
²Centre d’Etudes des Substances Naturelles d’ Origine Végétale (CESNOV), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of Congo.
³Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Nutrition is an important aspect of public health because it is linked to many significant diseases and health problems. This work is part of the promotion of traditional foods from the Democratic Republic of Congo in general and in the province of Bandundu, in particular by assessing the selenium content and the antioxidant capacity of wild edible mushrooms. Methanolic extracts from selected mushrooms were characterized for their chemical fingerprint by TLC and their in vitro antioxidant activities using ABTS, DPPH assays. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, free amines, steroids and terpenes in all species. However, Auricularia delicata and Pleurotus tuberregium contain flavonoids. All extracts displayed a good radical-scavenging activity at the concentration range 1 - 300 μg/mL in the following order: Auricularia delicata > Lentinus cf cladopus > Pleurotus tuberregium > Marasmius buzungolo > Schizophillum commune. Studied mushrooms showed the interest quantity of selenium and L. cf cladodus had the highest concentration. Moderate selenium content of these wild mushrooms associated with their important antioxidant activities could provide health benefits to Bandundu’s populations in protecting against oxidative damage under different conditions including konzo.

Antioxidant Activity, Auricularia delicata, Lentinus cf cladopus, Marasmius buzungolo, Pleurotus tuberregium, Schizophyllum commune, Selenium, Traditional Food

Kabuyi, M. , Kapepula, P. , Kabengele, J. , Moni, B. , Makengo, G. , Mungitshi, P. , Mukuta, A. , Mutunda, C. , Mpulusu, S. , Ngbolua, J. , Kabamba, N. and Fundu, T. (2017) Selenium Content and Antioxidant Potential of Some Edible Wild Mushrooms from Bandundu Area, DR Congo. Natural Resources, 8, 103-113. doi: 10.4236/nr.2017.82008.