Novel Insights into the Bioactive Metabolites of Macrocybe gigantea (Massee) Pegler & Lodge, a Wild Edible Macrofungi Using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Combined with Chemoinformatics Approaches

Macrocybe gigantea (MG) is an edible mushroom and has multiple pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antioxidant, and antitumor activities. However, only a few reports were available on the bioactive compounds and bioactivity of this mushroom. In this concern, the present study was aimed to explore the unique chemical diversity from the fruiting body of MG. The species identification was done accurately with morphological and molecular methods followed by mycochemical extraction in different solvent systems. The ethanolic extract of the fruiting body gave maximum yield and its Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed along with antibacterial activity and cell viability by MTT assay. The GC-MS analysis revealed 50 metabolites and further chemoinformatics analysis of these metabolites revealed their possible biological activities. In addition, the mushrooms' physico-chemical and mineral element analysis revealed the quality and authenticity of the species. Altogether, the current investigation gives a comprehensive overview of the bioactive metabolites of MG.