Chemical Characterization and In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Colon Cancer-Preventive Potential of a...

Polysaccharides from edible mushrooms are increasingly recognized as bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. In this study, a polysaccharide-rich fraction Mp-CPS was isolated from fruiting bodies of Macrolepiota procera using ultrasound-assisted extraction. The chemical composition of crude polysaccharides from the parasol mushroom was evaluated using spectrophotometric and electrophoretic methods. Chemical analysis revealed that Mp-CPS is mainly composed of glucose- and galactose-based heteropolysaccharides, with β-glucans as the predominant glucan type. The biological potential of Mp-CPS was evaluated in light of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Antioxidant assays (TEAC, ORAC) demonstrated significant radical-scavenging capacity, with higher activity observed in the ORAC test. As revealed by biochemical examination, Mp-CPS also inhibited key pro-inflammatory enzymes: COX-1, COX-2, and LOX. At the same time, in vitro research (MTT and LDH assays) has shown the great chemopreventive abilities of Mp-CPS against human colon cancer cells, which intensified with the degree of cell malignancy. Overall, these results highlight M. procera as a sustainable and valuable source of biologically active polysaccharides with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer potential. The findings support further exploration of Mp-CPS for applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals.