CHARACTERIZATION OF AN AQUEOUS EXTRACT OBTAINED FROM Pleurotus ostreatus PROTEIN CONCENTRATE BY-PRODUCT

Abstract

Recently, the antioxidant activity of the Pleurotus genus has been associated with the content of polysaccharides, particularly in crude extracts, since they have the capacity to trap free radicals and inhibit lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, during the processing of protein concentrates obtained from these fungi, by-products rich in carbohydrates and proteins are produced. The present study focused on the determination of the antioxidant activity and the electrophoretic characterization of proteins present in the by-products obtained from the aqueous extract of protein concentrates of two parental strains (PCM and POS) and a hybrid strain (PCM × POS) of Pleurotus ostreatus. The hybrid strain had a higher total protein content (25.29 %) compared to the parental strains PCM (23.93 %) and POS (22.6 %). The electrophoretic profile of the aqueous extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus revealed protein bands with molecular weights between 14 and 99 kDa. In relation to the antioxidant capacity, strains POS and PCM showed higher mean inhibitory concentration (ED50), with values of 11.84 and 20.57 mg mL^-1, respectively, while the hybrid strain PCM × POS had an ED50 of 4.67 mg mL^-1. The results suggest that the hybrid strain extract with the lowest mean inhibitory concentration (ED50) has potential as an antioxidant and biological material for the production of metabolites for other biological functions.