© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Four popular wild edible mushroom species (Rugiboletus extremiorientalis, Russula emetica, Russula sp. and Phlebopus portentosus) in Thailand were investigated for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents and phenolic profile and were evaluated for their antioxidant properties, as well as their tyrosinase and hyperglycaemic inhibitory activities. Water extraction of R. extremiorientalis not only contained high phenolic and flavonoid contents but also exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities as well as significant anti-hyperglycaemic activity. However, the methanolic extract of R. extremiorientalis had greater tyrosinase inhibitory activity than that of other mushroom species. The phenolic profile of an effective water extract of R. extremiorientalis presented gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, vanillic acid, syringic acid, sinapic acid, ferulic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, rutin and apigenin. This is the first report of phytochemical data for selected popular wild edible mushroom species in Thailand, and these findings could be applied to nutraceutical and cosmetic purposes.