Abstract

Fungi are sources of bioactive compounds, yet to be fully harnessed. Understanding bioactive components in macrofungi could serve as a lead for investigating their biological activities and medicinal potentials. The bioactive compounds in the chloroform extracts of Pleurotus ostreatus, P. tuber-regium and Lentinus squarrosulus were investigated, using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results revealed nine bioactive components present in L. squarrosulus. The highest component and quantity was 9, 12-octadecanoic acid ethyl ester (37.49%) followed by Hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester (14.49%) while the lowest (4.04%) as 3a, 6-methano-3AH-indene, 2, 3, 6, 7 tetrahydro. Other fatty acids and their ethyl esters as well as other compounds included; 2-Butenethioic acid; 3-(ethylthio)-S- (1-methylethyl ester (4.51%); Hexadecanoic acid (4.74%); 9, 12 – Octadecadienoic acid (Z-Z) – (11.14%); 9, 17-Octadecadienal, (Z) – (5.01%); 9, 12 – octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z) – Z hydroxyl – 1 – (hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester (12.68%) and Ethyl oleate (5.27%). Five bioactive compounds were harvested from Pleurotus ostreatus of which Linoleic acid was the highest (70.98%) and Cis-vecanic acid occurred as the lowest (2.46%). P. tuber-regium expressed 14 bioactive compounds with N-Hexadecanoic acid recording the highest quantity (28.83%); Ethane, 1, 1, 2-trichloro-Z-fluoro (9.15%) and the lowest in quantity was 2-Hexenal (E) – with (3.18%). These compounds are derivatives of Ergothioneiene implicated in anti-microbial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypocholesterolenic and in cancer prevention, amongst many other bioactivities. This study has shown bioactive components for therapeutic potentials in the oyster mushrooms, while creating a platform for screening, isolating and identifying many bioactive compounds which are thought to be useful in the treatment of various ailments, disorders and diseases of mankind in the nearest future.