Antibacterial Activities of Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus djamor Against Selected Bacterial Pathogens

Abstract

Mushrooms are the fruit bodies of macrofungal and it is consumed as food by manypeopleacross the world. The cultivation of  mushrooms is on the increase as it nowattracts manyconsumers because of its medicinal properties apart from their well known  nutritional benefits. This study was aimed to determine the antibacterial activities of Pleurotus ostreatus andPleurotus djamor against  some bacterial pathogens. Mushroom culture of Pleurotus ostreatusand Pleurotus djamor were collected from Myco-Farms Ltd, Benin  City, Edo State, Nigeriawhile Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolates wereobtained from  Microbiology Department, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Hot waterand Whatman disk filter method was used to get extract  from Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotusdjamor . Antibacterial assay was determined using Mueller Hinton agar after 24Hof incubationat  37 0C. The results revealed that P. ostreatus zone of inhibitions measured 1.83±0.15cm, 1.70±0.10 cm and 0.93±0.15 for Pseudomonas  aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus respectively at a concentration of 100mg/ml of the extract. While the extract of  Pleurotusdjamor had inhibition zone of 2.33±0.57cm, 1.93±0.15cm and 0.8±0.10cm for Pseudomonasaeruginosa, Escherichia coli and  Staphylococcus aureus respectively. The levels of antibacterial activities of these species of mushrooms showed a significant difference   (P<0.05) and a possible therapeutic potentials that could be used against common bacterial infections of man. Hence, Pharmacological   and research institutions should consider P. ostreatus and P djamor asatherapeutic source for drug production.