PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT ASSAY OF AGARICUS BISPOROUS (WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOM)
In the present investigation white button mushroom Agaricus bisporous (Petroleum ether extract, Chloroform extract, Ethyl acetate extract, Ethanol extract, aqueous extract) was screened for the finding out the presence of various phytochemical compounds and the antioxidant activity was evaluated against DPPH free radicals using TLC autography technique. The result of the phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of phytochemicals such as sterols, triterpenes, saponins, flavonoids and lactones in the ethanol extract. The petroleum extract was tested positive for the presence of sterols, saponins, alkaloids, and resins. Chloroform extract was tested positive for the presence of sterols, triterpenes, alkaloids, gycosides, fixed oils and fats, cardiac glycosides. Ethyl acetate extract showed only the presence of resins and in the meantime the aqueous extract of Agaricus bisporous showed the presence of phytochemicals such as triterpenes, flavonoids, glycosides, gums and mucilage cardiac and cyanopheric glycosides. The results of TLC autography technique confirmed the DPPH free radical scavenging potential of the extract of the mushroom Agaricus bisporous in scavenging the free radical with evidence of changing it’s blue color to yellow when sprayed on the silica gel in which the mushroom extract has been eluted with the solvent system glacial acetic acid: ethanol: water in the ratio of 5:4:1