ABSTRACT

The antimicrobial properties of ethanol, aqueous, hot and cold extracts of some mushroom species (Russula vesca, A uricularia auricular, Pleurotus squarrosulus and Volvariaella vulvae) on some Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Kiebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Salmonella typhi), Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Cctndida albicans were investigated. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MJC) was evaluated for each of the mushrooms. Antimicrobial activity was performed using agar disc and agar well diffusion methods. The hot and cold water extracts of R. vesca inhibited growth of E. coli, S. lyphi, P. mirabilis and C. albicans. Ethanol extracts of A. auricular showed wide spectrum of antimicrobial effect against the organisms except S. typhi and P. aeruginosa. P. squarrosuhis showed antimicrobial activity against K pneumoniae (6.14mm), S. pneumoniae (5.12mm), and C. albicans. (4.10mm). P. aeruginosa was resistant to all the four species of mushroom except the hot water extract of P. squarrosulus which showed zone of inhibition (3.41mm). V. vulvae showed antimicrobial activity against S. typhi (4.60mm). Ethanol and hot water extracts of most of the mushroom species contained more bioactive substance than cold water extract. The significance of antimicrobial activity of mushroom extracts was compared with the standard antibiotics (gentamicin, 5 .igIdisc) using clii — square. There were significant difference between the mean zone of inhibition of the ethanol extract of P. squarrosulus and the standard antibiotic against test organisms at 5% level of significance. The results obtained in this study suggest that P. squarrosulus possessed broad-spectrum of activity against microbial isolates used.