Investigation of the effects of water extracts of fomitopsis officinalis, phellinus igniarius and lactarius deliciosus on long lasting and stress resistance in caernorhabditis elegans

Aging is the process of decreasing fertility and irreversible loss of vitality. It includes the decline in the progression of physiological functioning and its deterioration over time, as well as the abnormality of biochemical processes. When age-related diseases and pathologies are examined, an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a tight relationship with the subsequent oxidative stress have been observed. Oxidative stress is the result of the use of oxygen by living organisms in aerobic respiration and is defined as a state of persistent imbalance between the generation of ROS and the ability of the antioxidant system to detoxify them. Presence and functional activities of antioxidants prevent oxidative stress. Medicinal mushrooms have high antioxidant levels and can be obtained naturally. Among medicinal mushrooms, Fomitopsis officinalis, Phellinus igniarius and Lactarius deliciosus are species with high antioxidant activities. Due to its antioxidant properties, it has preventive effects on many diseases and disorders. With their consumption, they can reduce the accumulation of excess ROS in the cell and this shows the necessity of revealing their antiaging properties. The aim of this thesis study is to investigate the effects of three different doses of water extracts of F. officinalis, P. igniarius and L. deliciosus fungi on the in vivo model organism C. elegans on longevity, the effect against oxidative stress and the increase in ROS level. Three different doses were determined as 100 µg/ml, 50 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml, and a total of 11 groups were formed, three groups for each mushroom, together with the control and solvent (PBS) groups. In the longevity experiment conducted with 11 groups at 20℃, 25 µg/ml dose of F. officinalis mushroom, 100 µg/ml dose of P. igniarius mushroom, 100 µg/ml and 50 µg/ml dose of L. deliciosus mushroom increased lifespan. In the experiment in which these four groups were formed by exposing them to oxidative stress, the life span of the other groups did not change, while the lifespan of the P. igniarius 100 µg/ml and L. deliciosus 50 µg/ml groups were shortened. In the time-dependent measurement of ROT levels of these groups that could not treat oxidative stress, however, although there were differences between the experimental groups compared to the control, it was observed that the F. officinalis 25 µg/ml and L. deliciosus 50 µg/ml groups maintained lower ROT levels compared to the control as time increased. The fact that the longevity of fungi is not due to prolongation of oxidative stress, but not to oxidative stress, suggests that prolongation of oxidative stress is a consequence, not a cause. The futures to be made with F. officinalis, P. igniarius and L. deliciosus mushrooms are based on the content of the possible reasons underlying the prolongation of the lifespan of these fungi.