Antimicrobial Activity of Mushrooms against Skin Infection Causing Pathogens

Abstract

Mushrooms are nutritionally functional food and a source of physiologically beneficial and nontoxic medicines for various diseased conditions. In the present study antimicrobial properties of crude extracts of three commercial edible mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus (J.E.Lange) Imbach , Pleurotus florida (Mont.) and Calocybe indica (P&A) were tested against bacteria and fungi that cause local dermatitis by disc diffusion method. Highest anti-microbial activity was obtained from petroleum ether extract of Agaricus bisporus, with the zone of inhibition 17mm (Streptococus pyogenes), 15mm (Staphylococus aureus), 14mm (Pseudomonas aeuroginosa) and 13mm (Candida albicans) from 100µg/ml concentration of mushroom extracts respectively, while minimal zone was obtained from the petroleum ether extract of Pleurotus florida and very least inhibition was observed in Calocybe indica. From the results it is inferred that crude extracts of commercially available mushrooms namely Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus florida can be used to treat pathogenic microbes that cause skin irritations, bristles and acnes. This study gives scope for the investigations on active constituents of mushrooms for better understanding of the healing mechanism.