Antioxidative and Antibacterial Ethanol Extract from a Neglected Indigenous Myco-food Suppresses Hep3B Proliferation by Regulating ROS-driven Intrinsic Mitochondrial Pathway

Food has always been an important way in many medical systems to treat illness. Despite the credence, many ethnic nutrients meet sturdy resistance due to a lack of evidence-based knowledge. Russula senecis is one of such forgotten myco-resource that has historically been cherished as health-promoting food; yet remains abandoned in the city market. To save the indigenous culture and popularize locally available functional food, we planned to explore the taxon's health benefits. The ethanolic fraction was enriched in phenolics (pyrogallol> cinnamic acid) followed by a flavonoid, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, and lycopene. Further investigation demonstrated that the preparation was capable enough to scavenge free radicals (superoxide, DPPH, ABTS), prevent β-carotene bleaching, donate an electron, and chelate Fe2+ with EC50 of 122-1151 μg/ml. Besides, the significant antibiotic property was also recorded against tested pathogenic microbes, as evidenced by low MIC scores (48.5-529 μg/ml). Moreover, the extract selectively rendered Hep3B cell proliferation as the treatment provoked a rapid increase in intracellular ROS resulting DNA breakage, cell cycle arrest, ΔΨm decrease, imbalance in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and activation of caspase-9 signifying induction of intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Thus the study recommends the use of R. senecis in medicinal, pharmaceutical, and food industries for the betterment of humankind.