Investigating the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Medicinal Mushroom Extract.

Medicinal mushrooms such as Pleurotus ostreatus are considered new-generation foods. They are good sources of proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Their demands are increasing due to the presence of bioactive components such as phenol, flavonoid, terpenes, polysaccharides and possession of antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant activity. This study investigated the antibacterial properties of Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) extracts against various pathogenic bacteria. The fruiting bodies of fresh oyster mushrooms were collected from the International market, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, and subjected to extraction using 70% ethanol and water solvents. The effectiveness of the extracts in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus fumigatus, and candida spp., was assessed by Agar well diffusion technique. The results revealed that the crude extract obtained from the 70% ethanol solvent exhibited significant inhibitory effects against candida spp., aspergillus fumigatus, E. Coli, and staphylococcus aureus with inhibition zone diameters of 6 to 20.00 mm. The crude extract from the water solvent showed inhibitory activity only against E. coli, and staphylococcus aureus, with an inhibition zone diameter of 8 to 18.00 mm. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the 70% ethanol and water extract against staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli established a value of 200 mg/ml. However, it was observed that the 70% ethanol and water extracts at a concentration of 50 mg/ml was incapable of suppressing the proliferation of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. These findings imply that the extracts of P. ostreatus possess inherent capacity as organic antibacterial agents.