TITLE:
Nutraceutical Potential and Bioactivities of Wild Trametes polyzona (Pers.) Justo
AUTHORS:
Erute Magdalene Adongbede, Janak Raj Khatiwada, Leonard Lamont Williams
KEYWORDS:
Biological Macromolecules, Selectivity Index, Multidrug Resistant Bacteria, Medicinal Polypore Fungi, Low Molecular Weight Compounds
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.17 No.6,
June
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: Therapeutic resistance, systemic toxicity, and limited tumor selectivity remain major challenges in cancer and antimicrobial treatment strategies, highlighting the need for multifunctional bioactive agents like fungi. Medicinal mushrooms of the genus Trametes are recognized sources of structurally diverse compounds, however, the nutraceutical potential of wild Trametes polyzona remains insufficiently characterized. This study evaluated the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities of chemically distinct fractions derived from wild T. polyzona. The mushroom species was identified using both morphological features and phylogenetic analysis. Methanol, hot water, and ethanol extractions yielded polyphenols, polysaccharides, and oligosaccharides (high- and low-molecular-weight carbohydrate rich fractions), respectively; their concentrations were subsequently measured. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH and ABTS assays (EC50), antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (IC50), and cytotoxicity was evaluated in HepG2 (liver), HCT116 (colon), and MDA-MB-231 (triple negative breast) cancer cells, with NCTC 929 fibroblasts as a non-malignant reference with MTT Assay. Selectivity indices (SI) were calculated. All fractions demonstrated significant concentration-dependent activity (p S. aureus. Polysaccharides demonstrated the most pronounced antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cells, with an IC50 value of 60.10 μg/ml and a selectivity index (SI) of 2.33, indicating preferential cytotoxicity. In contrast, polyphenols exhibited greater potency toward colon cancer. Notably, both polyphenol and polysaccharide fractions induced moderate selective growth inhibition in the chemo-resistant triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 (SI = 1.53 - 1.64). In contrast, conventional chemotherapeutics exhibited lower IC50 values but selectivity indices below unity under the same experimental conditions. Collectively, these findings establish wild T. polyzona as a multifunctional bioactive resource with differentiated functional properties driven by their composition and, as such, have promising nutraceutical relevance that supports further structural elucidation of bioactive compounds and mechanistic investigations.