Russula rosacea, a mycorrhizal fungus, has been used for edible and medicinal purposes. This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-cholinesterase, and nitric oxide inhibitory effects of the fruiting bodies from R. rosacea extracted with methanol, and hot water. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities of the methanol and hot water extracts (2.0 mg/ml) of R. rosacea were comparable with BHT, the positive control. The chelating effects of the mushroom and hot water extracts were significantly higher than that of BHT. The reducing power of methanol and hot water extract (6 mg/ml) were significantly lower than that of BHT. Seven phenolic compounds were detected from acetonitrile and hydrochloric acid solvent extract of the mushroom. alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities of methanol and hot water extracts were lower than that of acarbose, the positive control. The acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory effects were moderate compared with galanthamine, the standard drug. Nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RAW 264.7 cells were inhibited significantly by the mushroom extracts in a concentration dependent manner. Therefore, we demonstrated that fruiting bodies of R. rosacea possess in vitro antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-cholinesterase, and NO production inhibitory activities. The experimental results suggest that the fruiting bodies of R. rosacea are good natural antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory sources.

Russula compacta, a wild mushroom, belongs to Russulaceae, Russulales of Basidiomycota. This study was conducted to evaluate the free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, anticholinesterase and anti-α-glucosidase effects from fruiting bodies of R. compacta extracted with methanol and hot water. In 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging effects, the methanol and hot water extracts showed good scavenging effects comparable with positive control, BHT. The chelating effect of methanol and hot water extracts of the mushroom were significantly higher than the positive control, BHT. The reducing power of the methanol and hot water extracts of the mushroom were lower than the positive control at the concentrations tested. In the HPLC anaysis of phenolic acids profile of the mushroom extract, 7 phenolic acids such as gallic acid, vanillin, rutin hydrate, resveratol, quercetin formononetin, and biochanin-A were detected. Nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccahride (LPS) activated RAW 264.7 cells was inhibited by 1.5-fold with the treatment of methanol extract when compared with the control. In the anti-cholinesterase activity assay, the methanol extract inhibited the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) effects by 73.9% and 81.05% at the 1.0 mg/mL concentration, whereas galanthamine, the standard drug, inhibited the AChE and BChE activities by 97.80% and 81.12%, respectively at the same concentration. The methanol and hot water extracts of the mushroom inhibited the α-glucosidase activity by 55.44% and 62.00%, respectively at the 2.0 mg/mL concentration, while acarbose, the positive control inhibited the α-glucosidase activity by 81.81% at the 2.0 mg/mL concentration. From the experimental results, the fruiting bodies of R. compacta contained natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-diabetic substances, which might be used for health foods.