ETHNONUTRITIONAL INVESTIGATION, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND SECONDARY METABOLITE CONTENT OF A RANGE OF MUSHROOM TEAS BASED ON PLEUROTUS PULMONARIUS, PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS AND PLEUROTUS FLORIDANUS

Oyster mushrooms are considered functional foods due to their structure. Our work focused on assessing the antioxidant power and determining the secondary metabolite content of mushroom teas formulated from the best-known, cultivated and eaten species. We carried out an ethnonutritional survey, and the species selected were used for the rest. We implemented a mixing plan after which 13 formulations were selected to prepare the various herbal teas. Pleurotus pulmonarius, Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus floridanus were the most cultivated, known, and consumed species. DPPH test revealed that T5, T6 and T2 exhibited the best CI₅₀: 17.39 ± 0.35^b, 17.65 ± 1.20^b, and 18.93 ± 0.31^bc respectively compared to the standard which had a CI₅₀ of: 3.09 ± 1.56^a. In the FRAP test, T3, T9 and T11 displayed the best IC50 values: 7.72 ± 2.51^b, 10.16 ± 0.14^c, 11.00 ± 0.17^cd, respectively, while the standard had an IC₅₀ of 1.80 ± 1.06^a. In the hydrogen peroxide test, T1, T3 and T4 had the best CI₅₀ values: 23.44 ± 2.94^b, 24.98 ± 4.79^b and 26.37 ± 0.30^b.Whereas the standard was 5.82 ± 1.27^a. The determination of secondary metabolite levels showed that: T2 (41.48 ± 9.47^g), T4 (26.45 ± 0.77^f) and T1 (19.64 ± 0.92^e) had higher total polyphenol content, T9 (258.24 ± 11.37^c), T2 (253, 39 ± 16,37^bc) and T4 (252, 48 ± 42,76^bc) exhibited higher condensed tannin levels, while T7 (173.07 ± 0.58ⁱ), T13 (154.07 ± 3.51^h), T3 (152.07 ± 5.03^h) had higher total flavonoid content.