Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Pleurotus ostreatus on Selected Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria and Fungus

Abstract

Pleurotus ostreatus, or oyster mushroom, is a common edible wild mushroom characterized by its high nutritional values and promising diverse biological activities. It contains many bioactive components which have been found to possess several therapeutic functions. Because of the rising threat of treating serious and resistant infections, there is a developing need to discover new treatment strategies and compounds that can effectively eradicate infections. This study aims to evaluate and measure the antimicrobial activity and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and Minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of Pleurotus ostreatus methanol and aqueous crude extracts on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Mutans Streptococci, Lactobacillus, and Candida albicans. The antimicrobial activity of mushroom extracts was evaluated against ten purified microbial isolates using agar disc diffusion assay and minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentration assay. The results show that P. ostreatus methanol and aqueous crude extracts revealed antibacterial activity against the tested microorganisms and formed growth inhibition zones. Methanol crude extract shows more potent growth inhibition than the aqueous extract and in lower concentrations. This study shows that the tested oyster mushroom extracts have antimicrobial effects on different pathogens. Methanol crude extract of P. ostreatus revealed more powerful antibacterial and antifungal activity than the aqueous crude extract. Keywords: Oyster mushroom, Antimicrobial activity, Methanol crude extract.