Exploring the Medicinal Potential of the Fruit Bodies of Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (Agaricomycetes), against Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Isolates.

Bacterial resistance to present-generation antibiotics is increasing drastically, which has become a major public health concern. The present study focuses on demonstrating the antimicrobial potential of fruit bodies of the culinary/medicinal oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus against clinical pathogens. Five bacterial isolates were collected from Sagar Hospital in Bangalore, India. The collected strains were grown on selective and differential media and antibiotic susceptibility testing was applied using 48 antibiotics by disc diffusion assay. The antibacterial efficiency of the mushroom extract against clinical pathogens, which were found to be multidrug resistant (MDR) to most of the tested antibiotics, was studied. The yield of cultivated mushrooms was evident at moist, cooler, and humid conditions. The clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Acinetobacter sp., Proteus mirabilis, and Proteus spp. were found to be MDR to ß-lactam, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines, and carbapenems. The methanolic extracts of mushroom fruit bodies were found to be more effective than present-generation antibiotics against methicillin- and vancomycin- resistant S. aureus, S. typhi, Acinetobacter sp., and P. mirabilis at a concentration ranging from 50 to 100 µg/disc or 50 to 100 µL/well. The current study suggests that the methanolic extract of P. ostreatus can be used as a promising antibacterial agent against MDR bacterial pathogens.

Environmental assessment of the degradation potential of mushroom fruit bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm. towards synthetic azo dyes and contaminating effluents collected from textile industries in Karnataka, India.

Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm. is one of the edible mushrooms currently gaining attention as environmental restorer. The present study explores the potential of P. ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm. in degradation of textile dyes and effluents. The mushroom cultivation was carried out using paddy bed as substrate. The fully grown mushroom fruit bodies were used as a bioremediation agent against two industrially important azo dyes such as nylon blue and cotton yellow and few effluents collected from various textile industries in Karnataka, India. The ideal growth parameters such as temperature, pH, and dye concentrations for effective degradation were carried out. One of the main enzymes, laccase, responsible for biodegradation, was partially characterized. The degradation was found to be ideal at pH 3.0 and temperature at 26-28 °C. This study demonstrated a percentage degradation of 78.10, 90.81, 82.5, and 64.88 for dye samples such as nylon blue (50 ppm), cotton yellow (350 ppm), KSIC effluents, and Ramanagar effluents at 28 °C within 15th days respectively in comparison with other temperature conditions. Similarly, a percentage degradation of 35.99, 33.33, 76.13 and 25.8 for nylon blue (50 ppm), cotton yellow (350 ppm), Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) effluents and Ramnagar effluents were observed at pH 3.0 within 15 days, respectively (p < 0.05). Thus, the current study concluded that the utilization of P. ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm. at ideal environmental conditions is a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach for the degradation of various azo dyes and textile effluents which are harmful to the ecosystem.