Molecular identification and screening of mushrooms for antibacterial property against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

In this study, 18 mushrooms were collected from Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) campus, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (India) and identified by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region using National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) data base and screened for antibacterial property against two skin infection causing bacteria viz.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in dogs. Eleven mushrooms extract inhibited both the bacteria showing their antimicrobials as broad spectrum while inhibiting gram positive as well as gram negative bacteria.  The highest zone of inhibition was recorded from the extract of Lyophyllum sp. The extract of two mushrooms viz., Phlebopus portentosus and Termitomyces sp. inhibited only P. aeruginosa, a gram negative bacterium  and the extract of three mushrooms viz., Agaricus sp, Coprinellus disseminates and Agaricus blazei inhibited only S. aureus, a gram positive bacterium, suggesting spectral specificity of their antimicrobial compounds.  However,  the extracts of two mushrooms viz.,Macrocybe gigantea and Schizophyllum commune did not show inhibition of any of the pathogens.  Hence, this study suggests that the occurrence of potential pharmaceuticals in mushrooms can be exploited for control of multidrug resistant bacteria.