Bioactivity and chemical characterization of Fistulina hepatica extracts.

Fistulina hepatica, the beefsteak fungus, belongs to the order Agaricales and is commonly found all over Europe, North America, Australia and North Africa. Being a good edible species, it has also been investigated for its medicinal and pharmaceutical capacities. The anti-tumor activity of F. hepatica polysaccharides extracts from the mycelial culture was reported after intraperitoneally administration into white mice [1]. Nevertheless, nothing has been reported in phenolic and polysaccharidic extracts from the fruiting body.