Determination of biological activities and fatty acid compositions ofsome macrofungi species

In this thesis study, it was aimed to identify five different naturally growing mushroom species by molecular methods, to determine their total phenolic compound contents, to determine their antioxidant activities by four different methods based on free radical scavenging and metal ion reducing principles and to determine their fatty acid compositions by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. According to DNA sequence analysis data, the mushroom species used in the study were identified as Tuber aestivum (Wulfen) Spreng., Terfezia claveryi Chatin, Agaricus arvensis Schaeff., Coprinus comatus (O. F. Müll.) Pers and Bovistella utriformis (Bull.) Demoulin & Rebriev. The highest phenolic compound content, DPPH scavenging activity and CUPRAC capacity were determined in B. utriformis with 11.7190±0.147 mg GAE/mL, 1.9717±0 mmol TE/mL and 4.1798±0.155 mmol TE/mL, respectively, while the highest ABTS removal and PFRAP activity were determined in A. arvensis with 0.7606±0.019 mmol TE/mL and 4.4636±0.108 mmol AAE/mL, respectively. GC-MS analyses revealed that linoleic and oleic unsaturated fatty acids and palmitic and stearic saturated fatty acids were predominant in mushroom species.