Antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and protective effects of truffles

Fungi can be used as a potent chemotherapeutic agent to treat various cancers. In current study acetone and methanol extracts of Terfezia claveryi, Terfezia boudieri, Terfezia olbiensis, Picoa lefebvrei, Picoa juniperi were used to assess total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity, ion-chelating impact, antimicrobial activity, the cytotoxic and protective effects. Both methanol and acetone extracts of T. boudieri had the highest FRAP and DPPH scavenging abilities. Dose-dependent increased ion-chelating impact of all tested truffles species was found. Extracts of T. boudieri, T. claveryi, and T. albiensis exhibited higher antimicrobial activities. T. claveryi and T. boudieri showed the highest protective effects against H₂O₂-induced genotoxicity (P < 0.05), in S. cerevisiae BY4741. The least protective effect was showed by the acetone extracts of T. olbiensis (144 ± 8); methanol extracts of P. lefebvrei (140 ± 8) and P. juniperi (140 ± 10). MCF 7 cells showed more sensitivity against to methanol extracts of T. boudieri at 10-100 μg/mL concentrations. HepG2 cells showed more sensitivity against the methanolic extracts of T. boudieri at both doses. Overall, P. lefebvrei and P. juniperi extracts had the least cytotoxic effects. The species of Terfezia exhibit significant protective effects against DNA damage and also have the potential of cytotoxicity effects.