IN VITRO STUDIES TO DETERMINE ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTIES OF THREE PLEUROTUS SPECIES (OYSTER MUSHROOM)

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) are edible, nutritious and have antifungal and antibacterial potential. In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of three Pleurotus species; i.e. P. ostreatus, P. florida and P. eryngii were examined against five pathogenic fungi including Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Monilinia fructicola and five food pathogenic bacteria i.e. Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The antagonistic activity of oyster mushroom fungal strains was tested by using dual culture method. Amongst all Pleurotus species, P. ostreatus showed maximum whereas P. eryngii possessed minimum antifungal and antibacterial activities. The highest inhibition antimicrobial activity of 90.86% and 92.67% was observed for P. ostreatus against A. alternata and E. coli whereas the minimum 32.33% and 35.9% was recorded for A. flavus and V. parahaemolyticus for P. eryngii respectively. Selected Strains of oyster mushrooms have great potential to replace in-use fungicides.