Planta Med 2014; 80 - P1N27
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394617

Antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of four Basidiomycetes fungi

C Agyare 1, T Appiah 1, YD Boakye 1
  • 1Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Introduction: Infectious diseases remain one of the major threats to the health of humans. Development of microbial resistance to antibiotics [1] has necessitated the need to search for new and effective antimicrobials. Higher Basidiomycetes (Mushrooms) are a source of therapeutically useful bioactive agents [2].

Aim: To determine the antimicrobial activity of 70% v/v methanol extracts of Volvariella volvacea, Trametes gibbosa, Trametes elegans and Schizophyllum commune.

Method: Antimicrobial activity was carried out using agar diffusion and micro-dilution methods [3] and the time-kill assay was also determined [4].

Results: Antimicrobial activity indicated all four samples exhibited broad spectrum activity. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against Gram-negative bacteria were 6 – 8 mg/mL for T. elegans and S. commune, 6 – 10 mg/mL for V. volvacea and 6 mg/mL against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia for T. gibbosa. The MICs against Gram-positive bacteria were 6 – 8 mg/mL for T. elegans and S. commune, 4 – 6 mg/mL for T. gibbosa and 8 mg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pyogenes for V. volvacea. The time kill kinetics showed that methanol extracts of S. commune, V. volvacea and T. gibbosa were bacteriostatic against S. aureus, S. pyogenes and E. coli respectively while T. elegans was bactericidal to Candida albicans within the concentrations considered.

Conclusion: All the fungal extracts showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.

Keywords: Basidiomycetes, Volvariella volvacea, Trametes gibbosa, Trametes elegans, Schizophyllum commune

References:

[1] Fonkwo (2008), EMBO, 9: S13-S17.

[2] Kotra and Mobashery (1998), Bull Institut Pasteur, 96: 139 – 150.

[3] Agyare et al. (2013), Evid-based Comp Alt Med, Article ID 902394, pp. 9.

[4] Mizuno (1995), Food Rev Int, 11: 7 – 21.